
Class. 
Book. 



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COFVRIGIIT DEPOSrr. 




T. B. Clark. 



JACOB'S LADDER 



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A Book of Sermons Preached by E.^MJ Borden, 

Si 

at Neosho, Missouri, in October, 1913. 

Stenographicaily Reported. 

Also a few Written 

Extracts. 



EDITED BY 

T. B. CLARK 



PUBLISHED BY 
CHRISTIAN PILOT PUBLISHING CO. 

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. 



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Copyright, 1914 
By E. M. Boeden 
Little Rock, Ark. 



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JUL II 1914 



)C!,A379409 



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DEDICATION. 



To Those Great and Good Men — 

W. W. Beede, N. L. Clark, U. G. Wilkinson, 

J. W. Harper, and E. M. Borden (the Author of 

These Sermons) — who have been True Friends 

to Me in Time of Clouds and Gloom as 

Well as in Sunshine, is This Book 

Affectionately Dedicated. 



CONTENTS. 

My Say 7 

THE CHURCH. 
Sermon Number One 13 

THE CHURCH. 
Sermon Number Two 21 

THE CHURCH. 
Sermon Number Three 37 

THE CHURCH. 
Sermon Number Four 49 

THE CHURCH. 
Sermon Number Five 65 

THE CHURCH. 
Sermon Number Six 83 

THE CHURCH. 
Sermon Number Seven 97 

THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. 
Sermon Number Eight 115 

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. 
Sermon Number Nine 135 

" BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH." 
Sermon Number Ten 155 

THE CHANGE OF HEART. 
Sermon Number Eleven 167 



6 Contents. 

jacob's ladder. 

Sermon Number Twelve 189 

THE FORM OF DOCTRINE. 
Sermon Number Thirteen 205 

THE PRECIOUS INVITATION. 
Sermon Number Fourteen 223 

WHY I AM NOT A '* CAMPBELLITE." 
Sermon Number Fifteen 241 

"WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?" 
Written Sermon Number One 259 

THE LAST RESURRECTION. 
Written Sermon Number Two 271 

THE HONEST GENTILE. 
Written Sermon Number Three 283 

THE FIRST RESURRECTION. 
Written Sermon Number Four 301 

Short Extracts > 311 




Mrs. J. D. Bordex. J. D. Bordex. 

E. M. Borden's Mother and Father. 



MYjSAY. 

Having known Brother Borden for several years, 
and knowing of his earnest efforts to build up the cause 
of our dear Redeemer, and having heard him preach 
many soul-stirring sermons, I have been spurred up to 
the point where I think that a book of sermons by him 
will add much to the good that has been and is being 
done. 

All lovers of the truth whose eyes fall upon these ser- 
mons cannot do otherwise than appreciate the truths 
they contain. We do not expect all who look upon 
these pages to give us due credit for the good that these 
sermons may do, for, no doubt, there are those who will 
think they could have done better ; but the purpose of 
this book is not to show how well Brother Borden can 
preach, but to show the beautiful truths that these ser- 
mons contain, remembering the expression : " Ye shall 
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 

Wherever Brother Borden is known and loved (and 
he is loved where he is known) this book will be ap- 
preciated. While the personal magnetism that he pos- 
sesses in such a great degree cannot be put in the book, 
yet something goes with his sermons that captivates 
people who have never heard nor seen him. 

I never apologize for doing good; therefore I have 
no apology to offer for bringing this book before the 
world. 



8 Jacob's Ladder. 

Eli Monroe Borden. 

The subject of this sketch was born in Center, Shelby 
County, Texas, on January 30, 1874. He received his 
first training for usefulness in the public schools. He 
was baptized by Brother A. J. McCarty in the year 
1890. Afterwards he entered the Chilton Military In- 
stitute, at Troup, Texas, where he remained for some 
time ; but desiring to enter the ministry, he begged off 
from the military duties and was schooled for a time 
in Jacksonville, Texas, since which time he has been 
constantly engaged in preaching, writing, and debat- 
ing, and has accomplished much good for the cause of 
Christ. 

AS A preacher. 

It has been my privilege to hear Brother Borden 
preach many times, and I can truly say that a better 
preacher I have never heard. He is very successful as 
an evangelist, and is often referred to by the enemies 
of the truth as '' nothing but an old proselyter," though 
he always states with a smile: " I am yet reminded that 
the gospel is God's power to save." Particularly 
is he noted for settling old troubles and differences 
among the brethren. He is logical and plain, but 
pointed. He lives in everyday life what he preaches 
from the pulpit. This, coupled with the truth that he 
preaches, has much to do in bringing people to Christ. 

AS A debater. 

Brother Borden is a proficient debater, and is sec- 
ond to none in the brotherhood. He has successfully met 



Jacob's Ladder. 9 

in debate the ablest of opponents of the truth — such 
men as Zihuer, Christadelphian, of Iowa ; Pigue, Meth- 
odist, of Kentucky ; Bogard, Baptist, of Arkansas ; and 
other noted debaters. He has met Mr. Bogard in ten 
debates, one of which was taken by a stenographer 
and is now in book form. Several people have been 
known to be converted to the truth by reading this 
debate. In his debates he manifests the spirit of Christ, 
which is characteristic of his preaching, and there is 
interwoven with every thought the beautiful gems of 
truth, which he says are better than all earthly honor 
that could be bestowed upon him by condemning his 
opponent with uncouth and ungentlemanly expressions. 
He is constantly heard to say : " The weapons of our 
warfare are not carnal, and doctrine should be debated, 
not men.'' I speak from personal knowledge when I 
say that much good has come from his debases. In Sep- 
tember, 1909, he held a debate in which he converted 
both his opponent and his opponent's moderator, both 
of whom began preaching the truth immediately. I 
have never seen him taken by surprise in debate nor 
heard his opponent make an argument that he could 
not answer immediately. He is ever ready, not only 
in the Bible, but in church history as well, and is able 
to meet any man on the polemic rostrum. He is kind 
and gentle, yet firm and steadfast. 

AS AN EDITOR. 

In 1902 he founded the Christian Pilot under adverse 
conditions, with a very small list of subscribers. Not- 
withstanding the accidents incidental to a new com- 



10 Jacob's Ladder. 

mencement, the Christian Pilot has grown to its thou- 
sands, and is to-day one of the leading weekly religious 
journals of the brotherhood. Brother Borden has made 
a great sacrifice in bringing the paper through the 
'* starving season/' and he says it gets very hungry 
yet during certain seasons of the year. If you wish to 
learn more of him as an editor, I would suggest that 
you subscribe for the Christian Pilot. 

AS AN AUTHOR. 

Brother Borden is the author of '' Tom's Call to 
Preach," "John's Troubles," " Baptist Doctrine Upset," 
" The Troubled Village," " The Honest Gentile," " The 
Kingdom," and " Hereditary Total Depravity." 

"Tom's Call to Preach" is a very interesting little 
book, and it is appreciated by all who have read it. It 
is a story of a young Methodist preacher who was con- 
verted to Christ. The price is fifteen cents. 

"John's Troubles " is a story of a man getting into 
trouble while trying to find the truth. It brings up 
many of the everyday arguments that are used on all 
sides. It is very interesting. Thousands have been 
sold. The price is fifteen cents. 

" Baptist Doctrine Upset " is different from the two 
preceding books, in that the author does not appear 
as a writer of fiction, but as a logician, taking each ar- 
gument and proof text used by the Baptists and reply- 
ing to it. The book contains a very interesting histor- 
ical sketch of the beginning of the Baptist denomina- 
tion. The price is twenty-five cents per copy. 

" The Troubled Village " is a very readable tract. 



Jacob's Ladder. 11 

having for its theme the new birth. The price is five 
cents. 

'' The Honest Gentile '' is a small tract showing the 
conclusion of an honest Gentile after reading the Bi- 
ble through. Its principal object is to show the proper 
division of the word. The price is five cents per copy. 
Special price by the hundred. 

" The Kingdom *' is the title of a book written on the 
establishment of the kingdom, viewed from different 
standpoints. 

" Hereditary Total Depravity " is a small tract show- 
ing the fallacy of the doctrine of inherent sin. It is 
very interesting. The price is only five cents. 

HIS FAMILY. 

Brother Borden was married to Mrs. Ella Sisk in the 
year 1902. There are five children in the family — ^four 
girls and one boy. They, like their parents, are very 
kind and good. Sister Borden is a natural preacher's 
wife. She is a gentle woman, and shows by her every 
word and action a sweet and gentle dignity. She is a 
woman whose heart is pure and true, who is tender 
toward all sufferers, who sympathizes with those in 
trouble, and is ever ready to give that which costs her 
some effort and self-denial. She thinks no work derog- 
atory, and no one is deemed too low to receive courtesy 
and kindness. She is pure and good in every detail of 
life, a true friend, and a ministering angel in sorrow 
and in sickness. This, coupled with a good education, 
enables her to be of much assistance to Brother Borden 
in the work he loves so well. 



12 Jacob's Ladder. 

AS A MAN. 

The writer has known Brother Borden for a num- 
ber of years, and has always believed him to be a good 
man. He is one of the most humble and godly men I 
ever met. He has a good education, yet he is always 
ready to learn more and more as the days pass by. He 
is not one of those fortunate men who has attained to 
notoriety without difficulties or sailed to success '* on 
flowery beds of ease ; " nor is he one among the few 
who has lived without making mistakes, but is one 
of the few who has profited by the mistakes of the 
past. From what I have learned of his life since I have 
known him, I find that it has been one continuous bat- 
tle. His often-stated motto is : '* Battle for the right, 
and the victory is sure.'' His all-absorbing desire is 
to do as much good and as little evil as possible. 

AS MY FRIEND. 

Brother Borden is one of my very best friends, and 
I am sure that I am a friend of his. This, coupled with 
my estimation of him as a Christian, enables me to say 
that he merits the confidence and love of God's people 
everywhere. Most truly, 

T. B. Clark. 




Mrs. Ella Bordex, 
Wife of E. M. Borden. 



THE CHURCH. 



Sermon Number One. 



Matt. 16 : 18 is my text to-night, and will be for sev- 
eral sermons : '' Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I 
will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not 
prevail against it." 

Jesus had just said to his apostles, '' Whom do men 
say that I the Son of man am? '' and they answered: 
'' Some say that thou art John the Baptist : some, Elias; 
and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.'' The 
people differed very widely as to who he was. Of 
course, these people were giving their opinions, and 
that is the reason they did not agree. Men cannot 
agree on opinion, but they can agree on a positive truth. 

The apostles had a right to know who he was, for 
they had been with him and had heard his many mes- 
sages and witnessed his many miracles, so they were 
better prepared to say. Jesus, turning to them, said : 
" But whom say ye that I am? '' Peter said: *' Thou 
art the Christ, the Son of the living God.'' None of 
the other apostles took Peter to task for the statement 
he made, for all believed the same way. They did not 
give their opinion, but it was faith and knowledge with 
them and they could agree. Then Jesus said : '' Thou 
art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church ; 
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." No- 



14 Jacob's Ladder. 

tice the expression, '' my church/' The old Jewish 
church was in existence then, and Jesus and the apos- 
tles were members of it, for they entered it by the nat- 
ural birth. By the expression, " my church," then, we 
can understand that it was not the old Jewish church 
that was to be remodeled, but that it would be a new 
church. You will also notice that he said : " Upon this 
Toch I will build." What did he have reference to? 
Well, Peter had just said: ''Thou art the Christ, the 
Son of the living God." Then it must have referred 
to that. Then upon this truth, or upon Christ, the 
church would be built. In other words, the church will 
be built where Jesus is declared to be the Son of God. 
Then to preach Christ was to lay the foundation, for 
Christ is the chief corner stone. Paul referred to this 
same truth when he said: "According to the grace of 
God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, 
I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth there- 
on. But let every man take heed how he buildeth there- 
on. For other foundation can no man lay than that is 
laid, which is Jesus Christ." Then Paul had learned 
that Christ was the foundation and that the church was 
to be built upon him. 

If the church had been established before the day 
of Pentecost, as some claim it was, how was it that the 
apostles were not allowed to tell it until after his death ? 
Of course, Jesus told the apostles that he was the 
Christ, and proved it to them, but told them not to tell 
it until after his resurrection. 

After Jesus said unto Peter, " Thou art Peter, and 



Jacob's Ladder. 15 

upon this rock I will build my church ; and the gates of 
hell shall not prevail against it," he said that they 
should not tell any that he was the Christ. (Matt. 16 : 
20.) Then in chapter 17, which gives an account of 
the transfiguration of Christ, we find a similar state- 
ment. As the three apostles and Christ were coming 
down from the mountain, after they had heard the 
voice of God declaring that Jesus was his Son, Jesus 
said to them : *' Tell the vision to no man, until the Son 
of man be risen again from the dead.'' If the church 
was then established and the apostles were members 
of it and people were being added to it daily, why did 
Jesus charge them that they should not tell that he was 
the Christ until after he was raised from the dead ? 

Another thing we learn from this passage, and that 
is that the creed of the church of Christ is to believe 
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Almost all 
churches have creeds, and the church of Christ is no 
exception in that respect. Some have as many as ten 
or fifteen articles of faith, while others do not have so 
many; but the creed of the church of Christ is, as I 
have stated, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. A 
person must believe that in order to be a member of 
the church of Christ, but he can be a member of some 
institutions and not believe that truth. Perhaps you 
have often wondered why we ask a candidate for bap- 
tism if he believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of 
God ; but now you can know the reason. 

The old Jewish church had been standing ever since 
the law went forth from Mount Sinai, and it was for 



16 Jacob's Ladder. 

the Jews only; but this church of Christ was to be for 
all nations. Another thing : The old Jewish church was 
for the outer man, but this new church was for the in- 
ner man. The old church had the blood of animals in 
it, while this new church has the blood of Christ in it. 

Notice that Jesus said, '' I will build." That shows 
that it had not been built up to that time, but that it was 
some time in the future from that date. But some peo- 
ple seem to overlook that point. I believe he meant 
what he said, and that the church was built after that 
time. 

You will notice that the word '' church '' here is used 
in the singular number, and refers to the redeemed 
in the aggregate. Every person who is a child of God 
is a member of this institution. There is no need of 
different denominations to carry out God's plan, or he 
would have ordained such. All the institution the Lord 
has any use for is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

'' The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The 
word " hell " in this passage is from the Greek word 
" Hades," and it means the abode of the spirits of the 
dead. It is not the word for the lake of fire and brim- 
stone. Death leads into that state of existence. No 
man can be in Hades unless he first dies. Jesus went 
to Hades, but it was after he had died. The interme- 
diate state of the spirits between death and the resur- 
rection is what is called " Hades." This means, then, 
that " death shall not prevail against it." 

The antecedent of the pronoun '' it " is '' church." 
The pronoun is from the Greek word '' antes," and is 



Jacob's Ladder. 17 

translated '' her " in the Emphatic Diaglott. It is femi- 
nine gender, and is properly translated '' her." There- 
fore the passage can properly be read : '' Upon this 
rock I will build my church ; and the gates of hell shall 
not prevail against her." It proves to me that the 
church has existed from the time it was established 
to this present time. It also proves that people do not 
cease to be members of the church of Christ when they 
die, because " the gates of hell shall not prevail against 
it." 

Denominational preachers will not say that a person 
must be a m.ember of a denomination in order to be 
saved. Then the denomination is not the church of 
Christ. The church of Christ contains all of the re- 
deemed, but that cannot be said of any denomination. 
Listen : Can a man be a member of the church of the 
Lord Jesus Christ and not be a member of any denom- 
ination? The answer is, "Yes;" and it is the only 
reasonable answer that can be given, because the church 
of Christ existed before denominationalism was ever 
known in the world. It would be a blessing to Chris- 
tianity if denominationalism would become extinct and 
the church of Christ alone would exist. That time will 
be — if not in time, it will be in eternity. 

Do you ask if I am a member of the church that Je- 
sus said he would build on the rock? Yes, I am a mem- 
ber of it, and it alone. The reason I know I am a mem- 
ber is because I know I am a child of God. I have ex- 
perienced that change that is necessary for a person 
to have before baptism, and then I was baptized for the 



18 Jacob's Ladder. 

remission of sins. The preacher baptized me, but he 
did not receive me into the church. He said he could 
not do that. The elders did not receive me into the 
church ; but after I obeyed the gospel, the Lord added 
me to the church and wrote my name in the Lamb's 
book of life, and that is the only church book on which 
my name appears. 

The highest idea that some people have of being 
members of the church is to have their names written 
on the church book. But, fortunately or unfortunately, 
whichever way it may be considered, if either way, my 
name has never been on a church book on this earth. I 
have seen church books, but they were usually kept by 
some brother more as a convenience and not as a neces- 
sity. Because a person's name appears on the church 
book does not prove that he is a member of the church 
of Christ, and the absence of his name from the church 
book does not prove that he is not a member of the 
church of Christ. 

The promise of Jesus to build his church was not ful- 
filled until the day of Pentecost. The first members, 
the apostles and Christ, were proselytes from the old 
Jewish church. The first sermon in the Christian dis- 
pensation resulted in three thousand converts, and they 
were all proselytes from the old Jewish church. That 
was a fine meeting. If those people had been like peo- 
ple of our time, they would have gotten angry at the 
apostles and called them " a gang of proselyters." Pe- 
ter preached the truth, and those people saw it, and they 
were only too glad to accept the message. It did not 



Jacob's Ladder. 19 

take the three thousand people long to be changed from 
the old Jewish church to the church of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

But here comes a fellow wanting to get in his say 
before I am through with this sermon. 

" What is it you want to know, young man? " 

" While you were talking, I happened to think about 
the church you belong to, and call it ' the church of 
Christ.' Is it not a fact that you are a member of a 
church that was founded by Alexander Campbell? '' 

" You will please be seated, young man, and I will 
tell you, and also this people, about this matter.'' 

I am not a member of any denomination. Alexan- 
der Campbell did not found a church; but if he did, 
he had as much right to found one as did John Wesley, 
John Smyth, John Knox, or any other John. He or- 
ganized local assemblies, with a plurality of elders and 
deacons, believing that it was the proper way to organ- 
ize; but does that imply that in doing so he founded 
a church ? Certainly not. A church, even a local con- 
gregation, can exist without elders or deacons; but if 
the congregation has officers, it must be a plurality in 
order to be scriptural. Again, the local congregation 
does not have to exist in order that the church of Christ 
shall exist, for a man can be isolated from any con- 
gregation and yet be a member of the church of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. But listen : There are many things 
I have not yet learned ; but there are a few that I abso- 
lutely know, and one of them is that if Alexander 
Campbell did found a church, I did not join it. So no 



20 Jacob's Ladder. 

one can accuse me of being a member of that imaginary 
thing called '' the Campbellite Church." 

Let me say again that we do not belong to a denomi- 
nation. We are members of the church of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. The same church that was established 
in the year 33 is here now, and we can be members of 
it. According to Isaiah, Daniel, and others, it is to be 
above all other institutions and is to stand forever. 

As this is the first night of the meeting, I will say 
no more on this subject to-night, as I expect to take it 
up in other sermons for several evenings. There are 
many grand thoughts I wish to present to you from 
Holy Writ on this great theme. I want to give you a 
reason why I am a member of the church of Christ and 
the reason why others should be members. But I will 
close for this time. 




E. M. Borden's Family, 



THE CHURCH. 



Sermon Number Two. 



''And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and 
upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates 
of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16 : 18.) 

The text I have just read I expect to use for several 
sermons in this meeting. Jesus said : '' Upon this rock 
I will build my church.'' There is a great deal in just 
that one expression. I want to discuss every feature 
of the church in the sermons that I will devote to it. 
I preach a great deal on the church, and the reason I 
do so is because I can see so many good things in it. The 
majority of the people do not understand us on the 
church question, and that is one reason why a great 
many of them are so prejudiced against us. They look 
at it only from a standpoint of denominations, and have 
an idea that we are members of a denomination that 
was founded by some man, and that we are so egotis- 
tical as to claim that our denomination is better than 
any other denomination. I hope that I may be able to 
give you the correct idea on this question before this 
series of meetings shall come to a close, and I hope you 
will listen to me carefully and prayerfully; and if you 
are really interested in this matter, I think I can give 
you good reasons for what we do and say. 

No sensible man will contradict me when I say that 



22 Jacob's Ladder. 

the church that Jesus said he would build is the church 
of Christ. If I tell you that I am a member of that 
church, do I make a mistake, if, indeed, I am a child 
of God? If I tell you that Jesus did not found but one 
church, do I tell that which is true? Then, why do not 
all people wish to be members of the church of Christ, 
and that alone? Would you consider me a very strange 
individual if I should tell you that I never expect to be 
a member of any institution except the church of 
Christ? Well, that is my mind at present, and I do 
not have any idea of changing. 

Sometimes religious prejudice will run so high that 
men and women will not allow them.selves to admit a 
truth, lest it should be giving some to the other side. 
The truth has nothing to lose ; so I am going to try to 
be on safe ground and accept every truth, regardless 
of who believes it. The truth will win, but let us be 
sure that we have the truth. I insist in all of my de- 
bates that we agree on ever ji:hing we can and then fight 
it out on the real difference. 

Several years ago the brethren in Texas had a heated 
discussion through some of the papers as to whether 
we receive eternal life in this world or in the world to 
come. It might have been cowardly in me, but I stood 
and watched the fight, and it seemed to me that the 
brethren did not understand each other. I began to 
study the matter, and finally came to the conclusion 
that both sides were partly in the right. There is a 
sense in which we have eternal life here, and there is a 
sense in which we receive it in the world to come and 



Jacob's Ladder. 23 

do not receive it here. The word of God is the seed 
of the kingdom ; the seed has a life germ, which is the 
spirit ; and Peter tells us that we are born again of the 
''incorruptible'' seed, ''by the word of God." That spirit 
is eternal life in the man in this world. We have spirit 
as well as body. The spirit came from God and is im- 
mortal, or everlasting; so in that sense we have eter- 
nal life here. To the extent that we have Christ in us 
we have eternal life in this world. There is a sense in 
which we receive eternal life in the world to come that 
we do not receive it here. The opposite to everlasting 
death is not received until in the world to come. We 
will come forth from the dead to everlasting life. So 
the difference is not so much, after all. 

I had a talk a few years ago with a very strong man, 
who advocated that eternal life could be possessed now. 
I told him my position, and he said he had no objec- 
tions to it. Listen : If a man is willing to take the Bi- 
ble for what it says, I do not mind talking to him, and 
I believe he will remain loyal to the truth ; but if he is 
not willing to take what the Bible says, I had just as 
well " kiss him good-by," for he is going from us. 

But back to the subject. Jesus said : " I will build 
my church." I wish to impress it upon your minds 
that he said " my church." He did not say he would 
build John the Baptist a church; he did not say he 
would build John Knox a church; he did not say he 
would build John Wesley a church; he did not say he 
would build John Smyth a church ; but he said he would 
build his church. He did not say he would remodel the 



24 Jacob's Ladder. 

old Jewish church, but he said : '' Upon this rock I will 
build my church; and the gates of hell shall not pre- 
vail against it." Now, since he built the church and 
it is his, could I do him any greater honor with refer- 
ence to the church of Christ than to say '' the church 
of Christ?'' It sounds good to say '* the church of 
Christ." Sometimes our brethren have indulged in say- 
ing '' Christian Church ; " and while that does not 
sound very bad, it is never used that way in the Bible. 
As individual members of the church, we are called 
" Christians," but collectively we are referred to as 
'* the church of the firstborn," '' the church of God," 
etc. I do not like the idea of referring to our " di- 
gressive " brethren as " the Christian Church " and us 
as '' the church of Christ," for we are all m.embers of 
the same church— that is, all who have obeyed the gos- 
pel. Understand me. I believe the proper way to speak 
of it is to say '' church of Christ." Of course some peo- 
ple will object to that, because they say it does not dis- 
tinguish. It w^as not intended to be distinguished from 
any except the old Jewish church, for the institutions 
of to-day do not even claim to be wholly the church of 
Christ. But some vdll object to this, saying: "You 
think you and your little squad are the only people on 
earth who are right." Now listen : If a man is a child 
of God, he is a member of the church of Christ. It 
seems that that should be enough. Then the great ques- 
tion for each one to solve is as to whether he is a Chris- 
tian or not. It is my business to let the people know 
what the Book says, and then it is for them to accept 
or reject it. 




E. M. BORDEX. 



Jacob's Ladder. 25 

Jesus said: ''I will build." The expression shows 
that it had not been done up to that time. " Upon this 
rock I will build.'' That rock was Jesus Christ. 
Of all the institutions that are upon earth to-day, this 
is the only one that is built upon the " Rock of Ages." 
It is the only institution that is built by the power of 
God and is able to stand. Other institutions may rise 
and fall, but the church of Christ will continue on and 
on. The church will exist when time itself shall be no 
more. Why will it stand? Because '' the gates of hell 
shall not prevail against it." The pronoun " it " in this 
place has for its antecedent '' church." I thought at 
one time that it referred to the building of the church, 
and that it proved that he would build his church in 
spite of the fact that he had to go through the gates of 
Hades; but I have found out better. I used to make 
the statement that the " gates " referred to the way 
to get in or out, and that, according to the views of 
some people, the church was either in hell trying to get 
out or out of hell trying to get in ; but I have come to 
the conclusion that the gate into Hades is not the gate 
out. Death is the gate in, but it is not the gate out. 
The Greek word from which the pronoun '' it " is trans- 
lated is '' antes," and is feminine; and in the Emphatic 
Diaglott it is so translated — '' The gates of Hades shall 
not prevail against her ; " and that is really the proper 
translation. Then it must be that the gates of hell shall 
not prevail against the church. To make the m.atter 
simple, we might say : '' Death shall not prevail against 
her." It simply means that the church will not be- 
come extinct on account of death. 



26 Jacob's Ladder. 

I knew one man who tried to prove by the expression, 
'' the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," that it 
is impossible for a church member to apostatize. He 
thought that " hell '' in this place had reference to the 
lake of fire and brimstone, or to the powers of Satan, 
and that if a man ever was fortunate enough to get in 
the church he would be out of gunshot of the devil, 
and that he was sure of heaven. The word " hell " 
in this place is from the Greek word '' Hades/' which 
refers to the condition of departed spirits between 
death and the resurrection. If it be true that men go 
directly to their reward as soon as they die, then there 
is no Hades, neither is there a resurrection. But there 
is an intermediate state called " Hades," and there is 
also a resurrection. Hades is not a place, but a con- 
dition. It is the condition of unclothed spirits between 
the time the body dies and the resurrection. Some 
people say these spirits are in heaven. I do not know ; 
but I know they have not gone to their reward, for the 
time has not yet come for that. The Bible tells us that 
the spirit goes to God, who gave it; but that does not 
imply that it goes to its everlasting reward as soon as 
the body dies. Christ's spirit was in Hades between 
his death and his resurrection, but he said to Mary 
after his resurrection : " Touch me not, for I am not 
yet ascended to my Father." The body goes to the 
grave, but the intermediate state of the spirit is called 
" Hades." Hades was paradise to Christ and the thief, 
while to others it is " Tartarus." It does not mean 
that there is a place called '' Tartarus," but it is rather 



Jacob's Ladder. 27 

a condition. This matter is pictured by the statement 
concerning the rich man and Lazarus. Both of them 
died. One was in torments, or " Tartarus," while the 
other was in paradise; and it was all Hades, because 
the spirits were between death and the resurrection. 
There was a gulf between them, so that one could not 
pass to the other. That only shows that the rich man 
could not change after death. The gulf exists now, as 
far as that is concerned ; but there is a way to cross it 
now. We have a whole lifetime to get ready ; and if we 
do not take advantage of it, it is our own fault. There 
will be no invitations given after death; no calls, 
" Come unto me, and I will give you rest." So now is 
the time, for we cannot cross the gulf after we die. 
When we die, then our destiny is sealed; for there is 
no chance for repentance in the intermediate state. 
There are thousands and millions of spirits in that in- 
termediate state, and they must remain there until they 
are called up higher by the great power of God. 
" Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return," was 
not spoken of the soul. The dust returns to the earth 
as it was, and the spirit to God, who gave it. 

As I have said before, the word '* hell " in this pas- 
sage does not refer to the lake of fire and brimstone. 
The word here is " Hades," but the word *' Gehenna " 
is the word for the final punishment of the wicked. 
Jesus did not say, " The gates of Gehenna shall not 
prevail against it," but " the gates of Hades." 

What can be the gates of Hades but death? Death 
is the only thing that can lead us into the state 



28 Jacob's Ladder. 

of existence called '' Hades/' Death is the way into 
Hades, but it is not the way out; but I believe I have 
made that statement before. Then the gates of Hades, 
or death, shall not prevail against the church. 

There are a great many truths wrapped up in the 
expression, '' the gates of hell shall not prevail against 
it.'' It proves that the church has existed every min- 
ute of the time since its foundation, and will continue 
to exist even when time shall be no more. The church 
of Christ has stood the storms of time and has come 
through the great wilderness period, and is the same 
church to-day. Historically speaking, we can find it 
going into the wilderness, and then we come this side 
of the wilderness, and we can find it coming out; and 
we have the everlasting word of God coupled with that 
telling us that the kingdom shall stand forever. So 
the church must have existed even in the wilderness 
period. Many institutions of men have originated since 
that time, but the church of Christ has stood in spite 
of them and separate from them. The church of Christ 
existed a long time before there were any denomina- 
tions, and it surely can exist to-day without them. So, 
really, they are unnecessary. The church of Christ is 
just as broad, just as high, and just as long as Chris- 
tianity is in the world ; for wherever you find a Chris- 
tian, you find a member of the church of Christ. All 
Christians are members of the church of Christ. On 
one occasion I was misunderstood when I made this 
statement. Some one thought I meant that all who 
think they are Christians are members of the church 



Jacob's Ladder. 29 

of Christ, but I did not say that. I said all who are 
Christians. Then the great question is, Are we Chris- 
tians? 

I realize that, notwithstanding the beautiful things 
we present with reference to this great institution, it 
is very unpopular with a majority of people. People 
are seeking for something that will appeal more to the 
natural man and not so much to man's better part. 
It is true that we are called " old fogies," '' mossbacks,'' 
" Campbellites,'' " humpbacks,'' '' Uncle Alex.'s boys," 
etc.; but what do we care for that, so we are on the 
Lord's side ? The plain truth sounds good to many who 
are willing to take the truth unmixed with error. 

One night during a short meeting at Little Rock a 
man came by the church and hesitated for a moment 
until he was attracted by the simplicity of our worship, 
for it did not have that outward show that he had so 
often seen. Then he came in and sat down near the 
door to hear it through. I had met the man before, but 
knew nothing of his religion. After the service was 
over, he came up, and, putting his trembling hand into 
mine, said : " Brother Borden, I did not know that we 
were brethren. I am so glad that there are those in 
this city who worship the Lord from the heart, and not 
for style. I will tell my wife when I get home that I 
have found the model church, and I will be with you 
in the future." He said he loved the old-time religion. 
We can sing the song, " 'Tis the old-time religion," 
with a good grace, for it expresses a truth that we love 
so well. We are having a struggle in Little Rock ; but, 
you know, the right will sllways win. 



30 Jacob's Ladder. 

But here is another way to view the expression, 
" the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." 
Every person who ever became a member of the church 
of Christ is a member to-day, dead or alive. The rea- 
son I say that is because death shall not prevail against 
the church. The lodges and all other human institu- 
tions can only take a person to the grave, but the church 
of Christ exists in the intermediate state. Another 
reason for saying that is because the church is for the 
inner man, and not for the outer man. The outer man 
dissolves at death, but the inner man still remains ; so 
the part of man that is a member of the church exists 
after death. If I was a member of the " Campbellite 
Church,'' if there is such a thing in existence, it could 
only carry me to the grave; but the church of Christ 
can go beyond the grave. A person can die out of the 
lodge, but he cannot die out of the church of Christ. 
When a lodge member dies, you can put a tombstone 
to the resting place of the body ; for that was what be- 
longed to the lodge. The lodge is for the satisfying 
of the flesh, and it appeals to the outer or natural man ; 
but the church appeals to the inner man. Tombstones 
cannot mark the place of the spirit. The Masonic 
lodge is of long standing compared to other lodges. It 
has added many members to its number. But the trou- 
ble is that it has lost so many. They die out, they are 
turned out, etc. ; but the church, so far, has not lost a 
member. The time is coming, however, when the king- 
dom will be cleansed, and all the disobedient ones will 
be gathered out, and the church will be presented to 



Jacob's Ladder. 31 

God as a spotless garment; but that is a future 
event. 

The time is coming when all mortal life must cease 
to be. The moon will no longer shine, the sun will no 
longer visit the earth daily, the stars will no longer 
give their twinkling light, the heavens and earth will 
pass away, and the angel will declare that time shall be 
no more ; but the church will still exist, for " the gates 
of hell shall not prevail against it ; " and the church 
is for the immortal man, and not for the outer man. 
The part about man that makes God mindful of him is 
the part of man that will exist when all mortal life has 
ceased to exist. 

Sometimes you will hear people say : " I danced out 
of the church ; " "I got drunk, and they turned me 
out ; " "I told them to take my name off the book.^' 
That shows they do not understand the nature of the 
kingdom of Christ. We can withdraw ourselves from 
a brother who is walking disorderly ; but is he then out 
of the church? No; for if he was, he would have to 
be baptized to get back in, and that would be absurd. 
We do not receive people into the church, neither do 
we turn them out. The Lord receives them, and he will 
do the gathering out of the unfaithful ones. After the 
resurrection and we all stand before God, then it is 
that we must answer for the way we have lived in this 
world. If we have been faithful, we will receive a 
crown of life ; and if we have not been faithful, we will 
be separated from the good and cast into outer dark- 
ness. 



32 Jacob's Ladder. i 

In my closing remarks to-night I will present what 
I consider a very beautiful trio. 

1. There is a part of man that makes God mindful ; 
of him, which is the spirit. The body is of the dust, 
but the spirit came from God. Of the body it is said, j 
" Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return ; *' i 
and of the spirit it is said : ''And the spirit shall return : 
unto God who gave it.'' The spirit is immortal, incor- j 
ruptible ; for it came from God and will go back to God. | 
The body is dissolved and goes back to dust, but the ; 
spirit remains alive in an unclothed condition that is : 
called " Hades." The same spirit that is now clothed 
with mortality will be clothed with immortality in j 
heaven. ; 

2. There is an institution made for this spirit man. 
That institution is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. Jesus said his kingdom is not of this world; ^ 
but it, like the spirit man, is from heaven. So there is \ 
that immortal institution for that part of man that is \ 
immortal. So the church is the institution in which the 
inner man resides when crossing the river of death. 
The church is a heaven to go to heaven in. 

3. Isaiah (62: 2) says: "The Gentiles shall see ; 
thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou : 
shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the | 
Lord shall name." Again, Isaiah (66: 22) said: " For j 
as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will 
make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall 
your seed and your name remain," Then this new : 
name is to stand forever, and will even exist in the i 



Jacob's Ladder. 33 

new heaven and earth. Think of it — we can be Chris- 
tians here, we can be Christians in the intermediate 
state, and we can be Christians in the world to come ! 

So the inner man, the church of Christ, and the name 
'' Christian '' will together as a trio, cross the long 
and rough waves of the river of death, and stand tri- 
umphant on the shining shores of eternity. Let us com- 
fort one another with these thoughts. 

Brother, do you not think these are good reasons why 
a person should be a member of the church of Christ? 
I have just begun with these great truths, for there 
are a great many to bring out yet. I am not trying to 
build imaginary structures, but I am telling you facts 
as I have learned them from the word of God. 

Many times have I been asked to join human institu- 
tions, such as lodges. I came very near doing so at one 
time ; but, accepting the counsel of a man who was al- 
ready a member, I did not. I had not looked at it in 
the right way at that time, or I would not have even 
entertained such a thought. I did not make an open 
fight against the lodge, for a great many good things 
are done by the lodges ; but I said this : " Show me one 
good thing in the lodge that I cannot get in the church 
of Christ, and I will join." But no one has ever un- 
dertaken that job. Paul tells us that we are complete 
in him; so I could not better myself by becoming a 
member of a lodge. The church is the highest institu- 
tion in the world; and if a church member joins the 
lodge, he steps down instead of up. The church of 
Christ has something in it that cannot be had in any 

2 



34 Jacob's Ladder. 

lodge or any other institution founded by man, and 
that is salvation. 

The church is the greatest institution in the world, 
and no member of it can better himself by becoming a 
member of some other institution. The church of 
Christ is enough for me. 

In conclusion, I am not going to say, as you often 
hear said : " We will now open the doors of the church, 
and those who wish to can join." The door of the 
church of Christ is open at all times. I could not open 
the door if I should try. The Lord never made me the 
doorkeeper, so I do not open the door. You do not have 
to wait until an invitation is extended. You can study 
your Bible, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of 
your sins, and go to the preacher at the hour of mid- 
night and have him to baptize you, and the Lord will 
receive you. I do not even ask you to come and let me 
or these elders receive you into the church. We do not 
receive people into the church. The Lord does that. 
The Lord added the three thousand on the day of Pen- 
tecost, and the Lord adds them to-day. I can baptize 
a man after he has had a change of heart, but the Lord 
is the one to receive him. 

I have been a member of the church of Christ for 
about twenty-four years, and I have been preaching 
for over twenty years; but I have never received any 
one into the church yet. I have baptized a great many 
people, but the Lord received them into the church. 
My name has never even as much as been on a church 
book on this earth, because I have never lived where 



Jacob's Ladder. 35 

our brethren had a church book. My name, however, 
is written in the Lamb's book of life in heaven, and it 
is the only church book that is correctly kept. 

My friends, would you like to become a member of 
that church? If so, will you come to-night? Harden 
not your hearts, but accept this plain truth. 



THE CHURCH. 



Sermon Number Three. 



I am here to-night to deliver another message from 
Matt. 16: 18. Jesus said to Peter: " Upon this rock I 
will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not 
prevail against it.'' It is my aim in these sermons to 
get before the people the correct idea of the church — 
what it is and how we become members of it. So many 
people do not understand us on this great question. 
I have said more than once that the reason people are 
prejudiced against us is because they do not under- 
stand us. I am still of that opinion. I seldom meet 
a man in debate who understands exactly the position 
we hold relative to the church. People have looked 
so much at things of human origin that they confound 
the church with them and put the Lord's institution 
on a par with human institutions. You often hear the 
expression : " The church cannot save you." Now, that 
is true when it comes to denominationalism, for there 
is not a denomination in the world that has salvation 
in it for any man ; but there is salvation in the church 
of Christ. A man can do just as well out of a denomi- 
nation as he can in it, as far as the salvation of his soul 
is concerned ; but I am contending that a man can be a 
member of the church of Christ and not belong to any 
denomination. A man can be a Christian, a member 



38 Jacob's Ladder. 

of the church of Christ, in God's family, in God's king- 
dom, and never belong to any denomination. Now you 
cannot think hard of me for telling you that there is 
no salvation in the denominations, for you admit that 
yourselves ; but we can all unite on the fact that there 
is salvation in the chui^ch of Christ. 

The word " ekklesia," from which we have " church," 
is used in two senses. It refers to the local assembly 
and then to the redeemed in the aggregate. The Greek 
word refers to any assembly, whether religious or oth- 
erwise ; but " ekklesia of Christ " shows the kind of 
assembly. In that general sense it refers to those who 
are the children of God. Every saved man on earth, 
in the intermediate state, or in heaven is a member of 
the church of Christ. 

Mr. Pendleton, a great Baptist writer and the au- 
thor of a manual that is used by most of the Baptist 
churches in the South, said that the church is used 
in two senses — first, the local assembly, and, second, 
the redeemed in the aggregate. I agree with him on 
this point, but he is out of line with some of his breth- 
ren who are inferior to him. The Methodists believe 
that the church is used in two senses. However, they 
speak of it as the visible and the invisible church. 
They mean well by the expression, but it does not con- 
vey their idea. They say it is invisible because they 
cannot see all of the members, but that does not make 
it invisible. When we refer to the fact that it is the 
inner man that is a member of the church, and not the 
outer man, it might be properly said that the church is 



Jacob's Ladder. 39 

invisible. We can see the bodies of those who are mem- 
bers, and in that sense it is visible. However, I go to 
some places where the church is almost invisible in 
every sense, for it is hard to find any of the members. 

The church that Jesus said he would build must be 
different in many ways from the old Jewish church 
that had been established many years before Jesus said 
he would build his church. It began with the law that 
went forth from Mount Sinai and continued until Jesus 
died and the veil of the temple was rent in twain. The 
worship was discontinued in the old temple, for there is 
a better institution in existence nov/. While the old 
Jewish church was standing, Jesus said : " Upon this 
rock I will build my church." There was a difference 
between his church and the Jewish church, for one per- 
tained to the inner man and the other to the outer man. 
The Jews entered the Jewish church by the natural 
birth, but no man can enter the church of Christ that 
way. A man could belong to the old Jewish church and 
not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, but he 
cannot become a member of the church of Christ unless 
he believes that truth. The church that is known to- 
day as the Jewish Church does not accept Christ. I 
would not belong to any institution that did not have 
Christ in it. Would you, Brother Cook? [Brother 
Cook answered : '' No."] The main reason, then, that I 
am a member of the church of Christ alone is because 
I know it has Christ in it. One reason I am not a mem- 
ber of a lodge is because a man can be a member of a 
lodge if he does not believe in Christ. 



40 Jacob's Ladder. 

What did you say? Did you ask if I was throwing 
that at you? Well, if you take it that way, I will an- 
swer, " Yes ; " for you must have felt guilty, or you 
would not have said anything. Some people go to 
church with their feelings all spread out ; and if we do 
not walk on them, they say they have been slighted ; and 
if we do walk on them, they declare that they will 
never come back any more, because they say we fight. 

Last night I had something to say about the expres- 
sion, '^ the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'' 
You will also notice that " church " is used in the sin- 
gular number — " church," not " churches." He did not 
say, '' Upon this rock I will build my churches ; " but, 
" Upon this rock I will build my church." The church 
was to be his, for he said " my church," and also, " The 
gates of hell shall not prevail against it " — that is, shall 
not prevail against the church. Hades is the residence 
of spirits between death and the resurrection, and 
death leads into it. Many institutions have been shaken 
from one end to the other by the monster, Death ; but 
Death cannot shake the church of Christ, because when 
the body dies, the inner man is still a member of the 
church of Christ. When dust shall have returned to 
dust and all that is mortal has gone down and the an- 
gel declares that time shall be no more, the church will 
be in its most glorious state. I also stated that the pas- 
sage proved that the church would exist forever — ^that 
is, death will not cause it to become extinct. I am a 
member of the same church that was founded in the 
first century, for it is in existence now, and will exist 



Jacob's Ladder. 41 

when time itself will be no more. Some have advanced 
the idea that the church died and had to be raised from 
the dead, but the Bible does not say that. It is true 
that the church had a wilderness period, but that does 
not prove that the church died. Historically speaking, 
the church was hidden from public view for several 
centuries ; but that does not show that it did not exist, 
for we have the everlasting word of God stating that 
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it and that 
the kingdom shall stand forever. The church went 
into the wilderness and came out of the wilderness, 
which is positive proof that it was in the wilderness. 
The church did not die and have to be raised from the 
dead by some uninspired man, but the church has been 
here every moment since its establishment. One man 
wanted me to give him the names of people who were 
members of the church of Christ during that time. I 
reminded him that I was not skeptical about that part 
of it, but was willing to take the truth of God that it 
would stand forever and that the gates of hell would 
not prevail against it. Paul said : " Unto him be glory 
in the church by Christ throughout all ages, world with- 
out end. Amien." If there was no other passage by 
which I might prove the proposition, that one is enough 
for me. How could we have any other idea if we take 
the Bible for our guide? 

Now let us look at it from the standpoint of the king- 
dom. We are told by some that it is almost an unpar- 
donable sin to claim that the church and kingdom are 
one. Brother, excuse the expression ; but I am not a 



42 Jacob's Laddee. 

hairsplitter and have never tried to make a difference 
between the kingdom of Christ and the church of Christ. 
If I ask what it takes to get into the kingdom, I am told 
that it takes faith and obedience ; and if I ask what it 
takes to become a member of the church of Christ, the 
answer is the same. The Head of the church is the 
King of the kingdom ; so we are under his rule, whether 
we say " church " or " kingdom." Paul says there is 
one body, and that one body is the church ; and it is also 
called the " kingdom.'' There are not two bodies — one 
the church and the other the kingdom. Viewing it 
from one standpoint, it is the church ; and viewing it 
from another standpoint, it is the kingdom. If I should 
ask what kind of a government the church has, every 
one v/ould be forced to answer that it is monarchiaL If 
it is, then it is the kingdom. Paul tells us that Christ 
is the head of the church, as the man is the head of his 
wife. Is Christ the head of two institutions? No; 
there is one body. The one institution is called the 
" kingdom," " the family of God," " the vineyard," 
" the house of God," and refers not to different insti- 
tutions. We could not refer to a denomination as the 
church of Christ, the family of God, or the kingdom; 
for denominations are founded by man, and not by the 
Lord. The kingdom of Christ is made up of all the 
saved. 

I will now relate a few things concerning the dream 
of Nebuchadnezzar. He dreamed of an image whose 
head was of fine gold, its breast and arms of silver, 
its belly and thighs of brass, its legs of iron, and its 



Jacob's Ladder. 43 

feet of iron and clay. He also dreamed that a little 
stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, which 
smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and 
clay and broke them to pieces, and that the iron, the 
brass, the silver, and the gold were broken to pieces 
together and became like the chaff of the summer 
threshing floors, and that the little stone became a great 
mountain and filled the whole earth. 

The king called the magicians, the astrologers, the 
sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell his dream, as well 
as the interpretation, for he had forgotten the dream. 
They were not able to do so ; but Daniel, an Israelite, 
aided by the power of God, told the king his dream, 
and also the interpretation of it. Daniel informed him 
that the image represented four great kingdoms, of one 
of which he was the head, as he said to him : " Thou 
art this head of gold.'' But he informed him that there 
would be another kingdom inferior to him, and then a 
third kingdom of brass, and that next there would be 
a great iron kingdom. He also showed that the feet 
and toes represented the latter part of the iron kingdom 
being mixed with clay. We find these kingdoms men- 
tioned in history as Babylon, Medo-Persian, Mace- 
donian, and Roman. The kingdom of Babylon began 
after the flood, and the last, or Roman, kingdom lasted 
until about seven hundred and fifty years after the 
birth of Christ. Now listen : " In the days of these 
kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which 
shall never be destroyed ; and the kingdom shall not be 
left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and 



44 Jacob's Ladder. \ 

consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever/' \ 
Notice that he said " in these days ; " not before nor ; 
after these days, but while these kingdoms exist, the ' 
kingdom of Christ will be established. These king- 
doms have come and gone ; so there is no question about ; 
the kingdom being established on the day of Pentecost. | 
Again I am reminded that the kingdom shall stand for- j 
ever, and that there shall be glory in the church \ 
throughout all ages. Brother, how can you say the ; 
kingdom died, when the Bible is so plain in stating | 
that it shall stand forever ? j 

I met one man in debate who said that the church ■ 
was used only in the local sense, and that it was not , 
right to speak of the church in the singular number, I 
but that we should always speak in the plural sense, j 
He is one man in all the number that I have m.et who ] 
took that position. I asked him if he was a member | 
of the church that Jesus founded, and he was forced \ 
to say no; but he said he belonged to one just like it. i 
Now, what do you think of that? He does not seem to ^ 
believe the statements, '' the gates of hell shall not pre- j 
vail against it," " it shall stand forever," and " there 
shall be glory in the church throughout all ages." You j 
may wonder who he is, and I will tell you. It is Ben \ 
Bogard. j 

Several institutions have been founded by man since i 
the beginning of the church of Christ, and many of I 
them have gone down, and others will go down ; but the , 
church of Christ has stood separate from all man-made 
institutions. There might have been Christians in some I 



Jacob's Ladder. 45 

of those denominations; and, if so, they were Chris- 
tians in spite of the denominations to which they be- 
longed. No man will go to heaven for having been a 
member of a denomination, but he must be a member of 
the church of Christ, or be in God's family. 

There has been no cause for the foundation of de- 
nominations. The church of Christ has been here all 
of the time, and a man could obey the gospel and be- 
come a member of it. Of course it did not have the 
outward show that some man-made institutions have; 
but it is much greater, for it appeals to man's better 
part. 

But let me repeat Daniel's statement again : " It shall 
stand forever." I believe that statement. The king- 
dom is here now, and I believe I am a member of it. 
Once when I made that statement I was accused of be- 
lieving like the Baptists do. It may be like some of 
the Baptists believe, but not like all of them. Then, 
shall I refuse to believe any truth because the Baptists 
believe it? The truth has nothing to suffer, but it was 
not the Baptist Church that Jesus founded. Most of 
the Baptists believe in what they please to call " Baptist 
succession." They undertake to show a line or succes- 
sion of denominations, linked one onto the other, from 
the days of the apostles to our time. I do not believe 
in that kind, but I believe that the church has been one 
institution from then until novv% and that institution is 
known as the church of Christ. 

I want to call your attention to Isa. 2 : 2, 3 before I 
get through with this sermon : " It shall come to pass 



46 Jacob's Ladder. 

in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house 
shall be established in the top of the mountains, and 
shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall 
flow unto it. And many people shall go and say. Come 
ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the 
house of the God of Jacob ; and he will teach us of his 
ways, and we will walk in his paths : for out of Zion 
shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from 
Jerusalem." In this we find three things — " the last 
days; " " all nations; " " out of Zion shall go forth the 
law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." When 
we find the prophecy fulfilled, we must find these con- 
ditions. Was it fulfilled before Christ died or after- 
wards ? That is easy to answer. 

What is that you said? 

" Read on and explain the next verse, where it speaks 
about beating their swords into plowshares and their 
spears into pruning hooks, etc." 

Well, I will do that very thing. Let me read the pas- 
sage : "And he shall judge among the nations, and shall 
rebuke many people : and they shall beat their swords 
into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks : 
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither 
shall they learn war any more." The " wars " here did 
not have reference to wars like we have now, but to the 
enmity that existed between the Jews and Gentiles. 
Christ took the middle wall out of the way, and there is 
no more war between them. Notice that Isaiah said 
that all nations would flow unto it and that nations 
would learn war no more. The carnal wars were 



Jacob's Ladder. 47 

many in days past, but Christ took the enmity out of 
the way. As it is now, all have the same privilege, and 
all can come to Christ if they will — as inspiration says, 
" whosoever will.'' I love the expression, " whosoever 
will may come.'' 

But when was the prophecy fulfilled? Did Christ 
and the apostles preach to all nations before Jesus died 
on the cross? Certainly not, for Jesus said unto his 
apostles before he died : " Go not into the way of the 
Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye 
not : but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Is- 
rael." Jesus did not tell them to preach to all nations 
until after he had died on the cross and after his resur- 
rection, so " all nations shall flow unto it " could 
not have been fulfilled until after the death of Christ. 
The " last days " was not fulfilled before he died, for 
the " last days " did not begin until after the Jewish age 
had passed away at the cross ; so that part of it was not 
fulfilled until after he died. I will prove that the old 
law ended at the cross, but I will do that some other 
time. On the day of Pentecost, while Peter was preach- 
ing, he made reference to the " last days " and applied 
it to that present time. Then it could not have re- 
ferred to the last days of the Jewish age. Now, when 
did the law of the Lord begin? Did it begin before 
Christ died? No; for the old law was in force until 
he died, and Paul says : " He taketh away the first, that 
he may establish the second." So we find *^ all na- 
tions shall flow unto it," " the last days," and the law 
going forth from Zion and Jerusalem, all fulfilled after 
the death of Christ, and not before. 



48 Jacob's Ladder. 

In my next sermon I will start where I have left off 
to-night. I will take up some Old Testament passages 
and trace the line step by step until I have found the 
fulfillment of the passages. In the course of my re- 
marks I will tell you what became of the saints who 
arose at the time of the resurrection of Christ. 



THE CHURCH. 



Sermon Number Four. 



Since I began this meeting my sermons have been on 
this subject. I shall continue for several sermons yet. 
It would be foolish for me to ask any one to become a 
member of the church of Christ unless I could show 
some reason for it, and that is my reason for pointing 
out the good things in the church and things that can- 
not be had in any other institution. I would not ask 
any one to become a member of the church just for my 
own personal satisfaction or to increase our number 
that we might in so doing outstrip some other institu- 
tion, but I want to give you reasonable reasons why a 
person should be a member of the church of Christ. 
Each night I expect to advance new truths on this 
great subject. I have interwoven with my sermons 
the truth that the church shall stand forever. In ages 
past many mighty institutions have been erected by 
men, but the church of Christ was not built by human 
hands. The Lord has done it. As I have said before, 
the church was made for the inner man, and not for 
the outer man. The church is immortal, and it is made 
for the immortal man. The body can go back to dust, 
but the church can still exist, for the flesh is not the 
part of man that is a member of the church of Christ. 
One reason why the gates of hell shall not prevail 



50 Jacob's Ladder. 

against the church is because the part that is a member 
of the church is not dissolved when we die. 

Last night I mentioned Dan. 2 : 44, where it is said 
that Christ's kingdom would be established during the 
reign of the kingdoms represented by the great image 
that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. These king- 
doms began after the flood and continued until about 
seven hundred and fifty years after the birth of Christ, 
when the last vestige of them went down to rise no 
more. Notwithstanding the greatness of these king- 
doms, they had to fall ; but the kingdom of Christ be- 
gan as a small stone cut out of the mountain without 
hands, but it has grown to become a great mountain 
and is in existence to-day. When the trump of God 
shall sound and the dead in Christ shall rise and we 
hear the angel declare that time shall be no more, then 
the church shall be cleansed and presented to God as a 
spotless garment, and the church will exist eternally. 
We do not have to give up the church when we go to 
heaven, for the church is a heaven to go to heaven in. 
Referring to it as a vessel, it is the only vessel out on 
the sea of time to-day that can cross the rough waves 
of death and land its passengers on the other shore. 
The lodges and other institutions founded by man can 
only carry a man to the river of death. Human insti- 
tutions appeal to the flesh, but there is not one thing 
in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ that appeals 
to the natural man. The greatest works of men are 
very short when compared to things of eternity. The 
great Titanic is a demonstration of that fact. The 



Jacob's Ladder. 51 

makers of that great vessel thought they had made a 
vessel that could not sink, regardless of what they 
might encounter on the way; but, in spite of all their 
efforts, she went down, and God only heard the moans 
of the unfortunate ones. The church of Christ cannot 
" shipwreck " at the river of death, for " the gates 
of hell shall not prevail against it.'' It will sail across 
the great river of death and remain a part of heaven's 
own, for a part of the church is there now. 

It is useless for me to repeat that there is but one 
church of Christ. Paul contends for that oneness, Jesus 
prayed for that oneness, and all who really love the 
Lord will work for that oneness. One Lord, one body, 
one faith, one baptism, etc., has been the slogan of our 
people since the year 33. While attending the Louisi- 
ana Exposition at St. Louis, several years ago, I no- 
ticed on the bulletin board in front of the building 
erected by the " digressives " the expi^ession : " One 
body, and one Spirit ; " " one Lord, one faith, one 
baptism." It was very attractive to me, as it expressed 
a great truth ; but I was aware of the fact that those 
who put it there believed in other bodies to aid the 
church in her work, but their inconsistency did not 
keep me from seeing the beautiful truth expressed by 
these words. The only place I signed my name in St. 
Louis was in that building, for it had the right brand 
on it. 

The church is built to stand, and it will stand in time 
and eternity. There is nothing that has power enough 
to tear it down or bring it to an end. If there are only 



52 Jacob's Ladder. 

five Christians on earth, they compose the church of 
Christ. 

I am sorry to have to say it, but the church is di- 
vided over church polity and things of that nature ; but 
that does not prove that it is not the church of Christ. 
We have been told that men will arise among us and 
teach false doctrines and draw away disciples after 
them; so we can console ourselves that it is in fulfill- 
ment of prophecy. Paul found the brethren at Corinth 
divided over the preachers, and rebuked them; so we 
can see that such things did exist, but it was con- 
demned. Some of our brethren have organized mis- 
sionary societies of different kinds and have introduced 
things into the worship that should not have been there, 
but we cannot force them to live right. It is just with 
them and the Lord, and it will all be settled at the judg- 
ment. We have our reasons for not indorsing moves 
of that kind, but we will not have the time to discuss 
it here. But because some of our brethren have gone 
wrong is no reason why we should do wrong or even 
go to other extremes. 

The church is badly divided in the city of Little 
Rock, where I now reside. There are three congrega- 
tions on the "digressive" side and one on the loyal side. 
Our congregation is very small, and we are called " old 
fogies," *' mossbacks," etc. ; but we do not care for 
that, as we are afraid to go contrary to the Lord's 
will. So many efforts at Little Rock had been fruit- 
less, because we were so few and unpopular, that I 
dreaded to undertake the work ; but it seemed that the 



Jacob's Ladder. 53 

V 

burden fell upon me. But I am glad to say that we 
have a church house, well located, and almost paid for ; 
but just here I must give the brethren at other places 
credit for helping to finance the work. 

When a man is a child of God, he is a Christian and 
a member of the church of Christ. A person may drift 
from the paths of right, may bring innovations into the 
worship of God, and may cause a great deal of trouble ; 
but he is still a member of the church of Christ. Of 
course he is not doing right, but he has a lifetime to 
get right; but if he fails to get right, he must suffer 
the penalty at the last, when he will be cast out of the 
kingdom before it is presented to God as a spotless gar- 
ment. 

It is not right to mistreat a brother who has gone 
wrong, but we should try to win him back with kind- 
ness; for he is a part of our family, but has just gone 
astray. 

When I was about twenty-four years of age, I met 
Brother A. S. Bradley in debate at Goldthwaite, Texas. 
Brother Bradley had once been loyal to the truth, but 
he drifted into materialism. He refused to call me 
'' brother,'' but I called him " brother " because he was 
a member of the church of Christ. I was sorry that 
he had drifted into materialism, but could not help it. 
Was he not my brother then just the same as before? 
If he should lay down that doctrine, confess his wrongs, 
and go to preaching the truth as before, would he not 
be considered a brother by every member of the church 
of Christ? 



54 Jacob's Ladder. 

All Christians are members of the church of Christ. 
But some one will ask : "Are there not Christians in the 
Lutheran Church? " I do not know ; there may be ; but 
if there are, they are not Christians because they are 
members of the Lutheran Church, but in spite of it. 
They will admit that a person can be a Christian and 
not be a member of the Lutheran Church. So a man 
can be a Christian and not be a Lutheran, and I know 
he can be a Lutheran and not be a Christian. The same 
can be said of all churches founded by man. A man 
is not a Christian because he is a member of a denomi- 
nation, but because he is a member of the church of 
Christ, and he is a member of the church of Christ be- 
cause he has obeyed the gospel. A Christian can be 
a member of the lodge, but he is not a Christian be- 
cause he is a member of the lodge ; neither is he a lodge 
member because he is a Christian. He is a Christian 
in spite of the lodge. It takes obedience to the gospel 
to become a member of the church of Christ, and a 
man can do that without joining any institution 
founded by man, and I have my doubts as to whether 
it is right for a Christian to belong to any of those in- 
stitutions. Paul tells us that we are complete in Christ. 

I have made a few arguments to prove that the 
church was established on the first Pentecost after the 
resurrection of Christ. I introduced Isa. 2 : 2, 3 : " It 
shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of 
the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the 
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and 
all nations shall flow unto it.'' I showed that " all na- 



Jacob's Ladder. 55 

tions/' " the last days/' that are mentioned in the pas- 
sage, could not have been fulfilled until the day of Pen- 
tecost. It is conceded by a great many minds of differ- 
ent denominations that the church of Christ was estab- 
lished on the day of Pentecost, so I do not deem it neces- 
sary to spend so much time on that just now. This 
truth was stated in the international Sunday-school lit- 
erature a few years ago, and many historians of note 
state that the church of Christ began on the first Pen- 
tecost after the resurrection of Christ. I was very 
much amused at a noted Baptist minister in Little Rock 
who stated that the whole international Sunday-school 
literature company had gone " Campbellite," because 
they said that the church began on Pentecost. 

I showed also by Dan. 7 : 13, 14 that Jesus received 
the kingdom after he had gone to heaven : " I saw in 
the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man 
came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the An- 
cient of days, and they brought him near before him. 
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a 
kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should 
serve him." You will notice it says, "And they brought 
him [Christ] near before him" (God; for who else 
could it have referred to by the pronoun "him?"). 
When did he go in the clouds of heaven to the Ancient 
of days? The only time we can find is when he went 
to heaven just about ten days before the day of Pen- 
tecost. After that time he received the kingdom, that 
all people, nations, and languages should serve him. 
" His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall 



56 Jacob's Ladder. 

not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not 
be destroyed." Again we have it refreshed in our mem- 
ory that the kingdom shall stand forever and that it 
shall never be destroyed. Other great institutions have 
risen to their zenith and have gone down, but the 
church will not reach her zenith until she is where all 
things are eternal. The old Jewish congregation was 
great in its time, but there is something better, and 
that church is no more. It pertained to the flesh, but 
this kingdom pertains to the inner man. But before I 
turn that loose let me say again in the language of Dan- 
iel : " It shall stand forever." 

Now I wish to call your attention to Mark 9 : 1 : "And 
he said unto them. Verily I say unto you, That there 
be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste 
of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come 
with power." This statement was uttered before Je- 
sus died on the cross, and there is one thing we learn 
in this, and that is that the kingdom is to come or be- 
gin with power; so we can date the beginning of the 
kingdom with the coming of the power. He also im- 
plies that some of them would die before the kingdom 
would begin, and Judas did die; but the kingdom was 
not established after he died and before Jesus died, for 
there were too many other things to be done at that 
time. Now if we can locate the coming of the power, 
we locate the beginning of the kingdom. Now let me 
call your attention to the first chapter of Acts of the 
Apostles : " When they therefore were come together, 
they asked of him, saying. Lord, wilt thou at this time 



Jacob's Ladder. 57 

restore again the kingdom to Israel ? And he said unto 
them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, 
which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye 
shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come 
upon you.'' This passage shows that the Jews did not 
understand the nature of the kingdom of Christ, and 
it also shows that the power was to come after the 
Spirit had come on them. In the second chapter of Acts 
we find the Spirit came upon them ; and since the power 
was to come with the Spirit, we locate the kingdom 
beginning, the power coming, and the Spirit being re- 
ceived on the day of Pentecost. We can find the king- 
dom beginning, the Spirit coming, and the power mani- 
fested on the day of Pentecost, and not before. 

Now I come to another part of the sermon. I prom- 
ised you last night I would find a trail back in the Old 
Testament and follow it until I find its fulfillment. 
Now let me call your attention to 2 Sam. 7: 12, 13: 
"And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep 
with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, 
which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will es- 
tablish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my 
name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom 
forever." Again I am reminded that the kingdom, or 
church, will stand forever. I love that truth, and every 
time I preach these sermons it seems to enlarge itself. 
Every passage seems to remind us of that sacred truth. 
The passage tells that while David is dead, the kingdom 
will be set up, or, as the writer puts it: " Thy seed shall 
be raised up to sit on thy throne." This statement was 



58 Jacob's Ladder. 

uttered more than a thousand years before the advent 
of Christ, and now we will proceed to find the fulfill- 
ment. Remember that David is to be dead and his body 
still in the grave when this great work is to be done. 
The one to sit on his throne is to be of his seed. Now 
let us come to Acts 2 : 29 : " Men and brethren, let me 
freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he 
is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us 
unto this day." When was this statement uttered? 
On the day of Pentecost. Was it possible for them to 
think that David was not still dead? Yes, for there 
had been a resurrection of the saints a few days before 
that; but Peter wanted them to remember that David 
was not in that number, for he was to be in the grave 
when the kingdom was set up. Now let me read on : 
'' Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had 
sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, 
according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit 
on his throne." The " seed " referred to back in 2 Sam. 
7 : 12 has reference to Christ, for Peter said that Christ 
was raised up to sit on David's throne. What raising 
up did he have reference to? The next verse tells us: 
" He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of 
Christ." Then Christ was raised from the dead to sit 
on the throne. So it is a positive truth that he was 
not on the throne until after his resurrection. 

I remember once making this argument in debate, 
and my opponent said that David was not dead, but had 
gone on to heaven a long time ago, but that his old sep- 
ulcher was still there, and he ridiculed me for not know- 



Jacob's Ladder. 59 

ing the difference between David and his sepulcher. 
It was funny to me to see the fellow grab at a straw. 
I read verse 34 : ** For David is not ascended into the 
heavens/' It was ignorance in the fellow ; that was all. 
Then David was still dead on the day of Pentecost, 
when the kingdom was established. 

Now I wish to say more about that resurrection. By 
stating that " David is not ascended into the heavens " 
it seems to leave the impression that some had been 
raised from the dead and had gone on to heaven, and 
I believe that is true. Let me read Matt. 27 : 52, 53 : 
"And the graves were opened ; and many bodies of the 
saints which slept arose, and came out of their graves 
after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, 
and appeared unto many." Now please notice that 
'^ many " arose. It does not mean that just a few arose, 
but " many." In this place it just mentions the fact 
that the " many " arose and appeared to people in the 
holy city; then the subject is dropped, and we hear of 
them no more until Paul makes mention of them in 
Rom. 8. I will begin reading with verse 28 : " We know 
that all things v/ork together for good to them that love 
God, to them who are the called according to his pur- 
pose." Some people give this a general application, 
but you will notice the remark, " to those who are the 
called according to his purpose." Now he had a pur- 
pose, and they were chosen for that purpose. But who 
are they? Well, let us see: " For whom he did fore- 
know, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the 
image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among 



60 Jacob's Ladder. 

many brethren." Who were his brethren? The Israel- 
ites were his brethren. They (whoever they were) 
were chosen to be conformed to his image, that he might 
be the firstborn among many brethren. Notice " many 
brethren," " many saints," etc. In what sense is he 
the firstborn? He is the firstborn from the dead, and 
that is all. But let me read on : " Moreover whom he 
did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he 
called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, 
them he also glorified." You see that this is all in the 
past tense. So Christ and the saints were the first- 
bom from the dead. Now please keep the expression, 
" firstborn from the dead," in your minds, and we will 
advance to where we will find these people again. Now 
let me call your attention to 1 Cor. 15 : 22, 23 : '* For 
as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made 
alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the 
first fruits; afterwards they that are Christ's at his 
coming." Does it say, " Then cometh a thousand years' 
reign?" No, but it says, "Then cometh the end." 
There is no room for a thousand years' reign after the 
next resurrection. Are there two resurrections ? Yes ; 
one was Christ and the saints, and the other is the res- 
urrection that is yet to come, and then time will end. 
What will happen to the kingdom then? Well, I will 
just read on and see: "Then cometh the end, when 
he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the 
Father." The same kingdom will still exist, but it will 
be under God's control. Let me find these people again. 
The next time I will find them in heaven. I will now^ 



Jacob's Ladder. 61 

read Rev. 14 : 1-3 : "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood 
on the mount Sion, and with him a hundred forty and 
four thousand, having his Father's name v^ritten in 
their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as 
the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great 
thunder : and I heard the voice of harpers harping with 
their harps : and they sung as it were a new song be- 
fore the throne, and before the four beasts, and the eld- 
ers : and no man could learn that song but the hundred 
and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed 
from the earth." You will notice that these people had 
been redeemed from the earth. They were not on the 
earth, not in the intermediate state, but were in heaven. 
Who are they? Well, let us read on and see: " These 
are they which were not defiled with women ; for they 
are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb 
whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from 
among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the 
Lamb." These people were the first fruits, and Paul 
tells us that Christ is the firstborn from the dead, and 
the many saints followed; so we must admit that the 
first resurrection was Christ and the saints. These 
were the people Paul spoke about, who were chosen 
to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might 
be the firstborn among many of his brethren. Now, 
to show conclusively that all this took place in the past, 
at the time I have mentioned, I wish to call your atten- 
tion to another passage. In verse 6 of this same chap- 
ter I read: "And I saw another angel.'' This angel 
follows immediately after the incident I have just men- 



62 Jacob's Ladder. 

tioned, but let me read it all : "And I saw another angel 
fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gos- 
pel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to 
every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." 
The everlasting gospel is being preached now. If we do 
not preach the everlasting gospel now, what do we 
preach? One resurrection is in the past, and there is 
to be another one in the future. On the day of Pente- 
cost, after the first resurrection, is when the angel 
started out with the everlasting gospel to preach to 
every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Can this 
gospel be preached to people on earth after the next 
resurrection? No, because after the next resurrection, 
Paul says, " then cometh the end.'' 

Therefore my line is made out. Jesus visited that 
spirit realm called " Hades ; " and when he came out, 
he led captives who are now in heaven, and they are 
now in the reign of Christ. Who were they? They 
were Israelites, as they were his brethren. They are 
in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then the 
kingdom of Christ is part on earth and part in heaven. 
Paul tells us that the whole family in heaven and on 
earth are called by one name. The family is one, and 
a part of it is in heaven and a part of it is on earth. 
They were Israelites prior to their entrance into heaven, 
but what are they now? Isaiah (62 : 2, 3) says : " The 
Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy 
glory : and thou shalt be called by a new name, which 
the mouth of the Lord shall name." The Israelites were 
to be called by a new name ; so now, as they are under 
the reign of Christ, they are called " Christians." 



Jacob's Ladder. 63 

A part of the church is in heaven and a part of it is 
on earth ; but when time is no more and Christ will have 
conquered all enemies and eternity alone will exist, then 
the family will be together. Praise the Lord for these 
great truths ! 

Are there those here to-night who wish to become 
Christians? Do you want to be saved? Do you wish 
to be a member of this great institution? If so, come 
to-night. 



THE CHURCH. 



Sermon Number Five. 



By way of explanation to those who have not been 
coming regularly, I will say I have been preaching every 
night from one text, and that is Matt. 16 : 18 : '' Upon 
this rock I will build my church ; and the gates of hell 
shall not prevail against it." I impressed the fact 
upon your mind that Jesus said " my church." I fur- 
ther said that since the church is his, we could do him 
no greater honor in that respect than to refer to that 
church as the church of Christ. Is there a better way 
to express it? I think not. It has been a custom for 
historians and others to say " Christian Church." 
Their aim is to give Christ the honor; and if there is 
an institution on earth that has a right to be called the 
" Christian Church," it is the church that Jesus 
founded, but it was not so called by inspiration. To 
tell the truth about the matter, I have not found where 
the church, as a body, has been named, unless you would 
call such expressions as " church of the firstborn," 
''church of God," "churches of Christ," names, and then 
it would have several names. If there was a special 
name given to the church as a body, we could surely 
find it; but since I have failed to find it, I speak of it 
as the " church of Christ," for I know it is his church. 
Individually we are Christians, but collectively we are 

3 



66 Jacob's Ladder. 

referred to as the " church of Christ/' In a great 
many instances we say, but improperly, " Christian 
Church." Some people wish to apply the name to those 
of our brethren who have apostatized, or digressed 
from the truth. I do not like that idea. Are they any 
more the Christian Church than we are? If they are 
the Christian Church because they have digressed, pray 
tell me what we are? It is like calling a man who 
knows his duty and will not do it a '' Campbellite." 
That slanders Brother Campbell, and it should not be 
indulged in. 

I will take this subject to-night from a little different 
standpoint. I want to start with Eph. 2 : 12-15 ; and 
after stating the point, then I will leave it and go to the 
Old Testament and climb the ladder step by step until 
I have returned to the place where I started, and then 
I will have added another point to my much-talked- 
about theme, the " church of Christ." 

Now, before I venture into the depths of my subject 
to-night, I want to make a proposition. As you are 
aware, our people are generally opposed to proposi- 
tions. For instance, the preacher will say, "All who 
want to go to heaven, stand up ; " "All who have chil- 
dren in heaven, stand up ; " "All who have grandmoth- 
ers in heaven, stand up ; " "All who are seekers of sal- 
vation, stand up ; " and others of the same import. We 
do not like that ; and when we go to church where such 
is carried on, we generally keep our seats, regardless 
of what kind of proposition should be made. But 
sometimes they will get us into close places, anyhow. 



Jacob's Ladder. 67 

For instance, the preacher will say : "All who want to 
go to heaven, stand up ; and all who want to go to hell, 
keep their seats." Now, to keep from responding to 
this proposition, a person would have to be halfway 
between sitting down and standing up; but I gener- 
ally keep my seat, regardless of the proposition. 

Bear with me, and I will tell you how I got into trou- 
ble on a proposition one time. It was during a revival 
meeting at Black Rock, Ark., where I lived at that time. 
A Mr. Tatum, a Methodist preacher, was conducting 
the revival. That night I was late getting there; and 
when I stepped in, they were standing and singing the 
last song before beginning the lecture. I got to a place 
where I could sit down after the song was finished, 
and just remained standing, expecting to be seated 
when the song was finished. Just as the song was fin- 
ished, the preacher said : " Let all of the Methodists sit 
down, and the rest can remain standing." A large por- 
tion of the audience sat down. Then he said : " Let all 
of the Baptists sit down." When they sat down, that 
left only a few people in the house standing. About 
this time I began to see that somebody was going to be 
very much embarrassed unless some kind of a change 
was made, and that possibly I would have to respond to 
a proposition in spite of my opposition to such things. 
I knew if I remained standing he would get to us and 
would say, " Let all of the Campbellites sit down," and 
I knew I would remain standing. If he said, " Let all 
the Christians sit down," that would be rather hard on 
those Methodists and Baptists ; so it would be very em- 



68 Jacob's Ladder. 

barrassing for the revivalist. So, after meditation over 
the matter for a second or two, I decided to sit down ; 
and just as I went down in my seat, the preacher said : 
" Let all the Presbyterians sit down." So I went down 
on the Presbyterian proposition. [Laughter.] I have 
been very much opposed to propositions ever since 
that time. 

I will now make the proposition, and I think it is the 
only one that I will make during the meeting. I want 
all the Jews who are here to-night to stand up on your 
feet. [No one stood up.] Well, it seems that there 
are no Jews here to-night. Well, then, we are all Gen- 
tiles. The lesson I have for you to-night is just the 
lesson for people who are descendants of the Gentile 
race. Let me read : " Wherefore remember, that ye 
being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called 
Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision in 
the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were 
without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth 
of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of prom- 
ise, having no hope, and without God in the world." 

Think about it! At that time, whenever that was, 
the Gentiles were without Christ, aliens to the com- 
monwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of 
promise, had no hope, and were without God in the 
world. That was the condition of the Gentiles at that 
time. When was that? Perhaps if we will read just 
a little further we will find our question answered: 
" But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were afar 
off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." From this 



Jacob's Ladder. 69 

we learn that the Gentiles were made near by the blood 
of Christ. Then, before he shed his blood, the Gentiles 
were in this condition. Now, since the Gentiles are 
brought near by the blood of Christ, how can the Gen- 
tiles go back before that time to find salvation? When 
/esus sent the apostles out to preach before he died, 
he told them not to go to the Gentiles or to any city of 
the Samaritans, but to go to the lost sheep of the house 
of Israel. Jesus did not even give them a commission 
to preach to all nations until after he died on the cross. 
In fact, it was just about ten days before the day of 
Pentecost when he told them to go into all the world 
and preach the gospel to every creature. Even then 
he told them to wait until they had received power from 
on high, which they did not receive until the day of 
Pentecost. So we are bound to admit that before Christ 
died the Gentiles were afar off. 

But let me read further : '' For he is our peace, who 
hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle 
wall of partition between us.'' Notice it — " made both 
one," made both the Jews and Gentiles one. Does not 
that look like God aimed for his people to be one? I 
wish there was no division among those who claim to 
be Christians. I know there are people in Babylon, 
and I pray God that they may return to the faith. But 
we are told that in the latter times some shall depart 
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doc- 
trines of devils. But there are those who are standing 
firm on the Rock of Ages and contending for that which 
is spoken by the word of God. " Hath made both one. 



70 Jacob's Ladder. 

and hath broken down the middle wall of partition be- 
tween us/' in order " to make in himself of twain one 
new man." The enmity was between the Jews and Gen- 
tiles, and it was broken down in order to make one 
new man. The old man was the old Jewish church, in 
which the Jews only could dwell ; but the new man is 
for both the Jews and Gentiles. Now it must have been 
after his death when this new man was made, for it 
was to be made after the middle wall was broken down, 
and we read where the Gentiles were brought near by 
the blood of Christ. I will come to that part of the sub- 
ject later and show when the middle wall was broken 
down. 

Now for a long jump back to Abraham, but I am 
coming back in about thirty minutes. Hear me read 
Gen. 12 : 1-3 : " Now the Lord had said unto Abram, 
Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and 
from thy Father's house, unto a land that I will show 
thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I 
will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou 
shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless 
thee, and curse him that curseth thee : and in thee shall 
all families of the earth be blessed." In these verses 
we find a twofold promise. One part of it points to the 
land of Canaan as an everlasting possession, and the 
other points to the time when all nations would be 
blessed through Christ. Now, have these promises been 
fulfilled? First, we will notice the promise concern- 
ing the land of Canaan. Did Abraham go over to that 
land as God had demanded of him? We will find the 



Jacob's Ladder. 71 

answer by reading from Gen. 17 : "And I will give unto 
thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou 
art a stranger." Why was he a stranger? Because he 
had left his kin in the other country and had come to 
the land where he was a stranger. God also said : "And 
I will give unto thee ... all the land of Canaan, 
for an everlasting possession." Then God not only 
promised the land to Abraham and his seed, but we 
find that he entered the land, and God talked to him 
after he had entered it and renewed his promise to 
him that in his seed should all nations be blessed. 
Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac was 
by promise, and God said : " In Isaac shall thy seed be 
called." Jacob is the next one in the line, and you per- 
haps remember that when he dreamed of the ladder 
that reached from earth to heaven, God said to him, as 
he did to his grandfather, Abram : "In thee and thy seed 
shall all nations be blessed." Jacob had twelve sons. 
While these boys were young, they took their younger 
brother and sold him into Egypt, and told the father 
that he had been slain by some wild animal. Jacob be- 
lieved it and mourned on account of it. Afterwards 
the drought came on, and these boys went to Egypt to 
buy corn. When they would buy their corn and be on 
their return, they would find their money in the sacks 
with the corn. This was repeated. They did not know 
what to think about it, for they had not yet recognized 
their brother, from whom they were buying the corn. 
Finally Joseph made himself known to his brethren, 
and on their return they told their father that they had 



72 Jacob's Ladder. 

found Joseph and of the place he had in Egypt. After 
this we find Jacob and his sons going into Egypt and 
leaving the land that God had given them for an ever- 
lasting possession. After they had entered the land 
and had begun to multiply, the Egyptians began to get 
uneasy, thinking that perhaps the Israelites would out- 
number them; so they began to make their burdens 
heavy. This continued until it was unbearable, and 
then the Israelites began to beg the Lord for help. 
God heard their prayers and led them out of Egyptian 
bondage and brought them again into their own land. 
Notice, as a nation, they had been there once, and now 
they are there again. Of course, individually, there 
were many of the Israelites who never did see the land 
of Canaan ; but, as a nation, they did, and in that sense 
God's promise was fulfilled. There are preachers who 
will tell you that God's promise has never been fulfilled, 
and that it is to be fulfilled after the next resurrection ; 
but such cannot be true, for after the next resurrection 
the end will come, and there will be no room for the 
fulfilling of the old land promise to Abraham and to 
his seed. 

Let me call your attention to 1 Cor. 15 : 23, 24 : " But 
every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; 
afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming. Then 
Cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the 
kingdom to God, even the Father." Do you see any 
room for a literal reign of Christ on earth after the 
end has come and he has delivered the kingdom to God? 
Some people talk about a thousand years' reign on 



Jacob's Ladder. 73 

earth, beginning after the next resurrection and con- 
tinuing until another resurrection at the end of the 
thousand years. Their idea is that Christ will be in 
the flesh, as he was when he was here, and that his 
subjects will also be in the flesh, and that he will reign 
as an earthly king, as did David of old. Some get so 
beside themselves that they will argue that we will 
plow the same old mule in " the sweet by and by " that 
we do now. That is a very poor conception of eternity, 
if I am any judge. There is only one resurrection in 
the future, and the man who says there are two is 
building an imaginary fabric. After the next resur- 
rection, " then cometh the end.'' 

But has God's promise to Abraham concerning the 
land of Canaan been fulfilled? That is the question 
now. I say it has ; but now for the proof. Now let me 
call your attention to Josh. 21 : 43-45 : "And the Lord 
gave Israel all the land which he sware to give unto 
their fathers ; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. 
And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to 
all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood 
not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord 
delivered all their enemies into their hand. There 
failed not aught of any good thing which the Lord had 
spoken unto the house of Israel; ALL CAME to pass." 
Think about it — " all came to pass ! " Does that sound 
like it had not been fulfilled? That pasage is enough 
for all who are willing to believe the testimony, but I 
will give another. Josh. 23: 14: "And, behold, this 
day I am going the way of all the earth : and ye know 



74 Jacob's Ladder. 

in all your hearts and in all your souls, that noi one 
thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord 
your God spake concerning you: all are come to pass 
unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof J' 

Now, with these positive proofs before us stating 
that all of it has been fulfilled, how can any one say 
that it is yet to be fulfilled, and, besides that, be so badly 
bewildered as to say that it is to be fulfilled after the 
next resurrection? Some people can get no higher in 
religious life than to picture eternity and the final rest 
of the redeemed as an ordinary earthly possession. 

In my debate with Mr. Zilmer at Morrillton, Ark., in 
1912, Mr. Zitaer ridiculed me very much for talking 
about going to heaven. He said : " I am not going up ; 
I am going to stay right here on this earth." It was 
amusing to the congregation when I read : " Then we 
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together 
with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air : 
and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thess. 4: 
17.) But Mr. Zilmer is going to stay here, and not be 
caught up in the air — ^that is, if he does what he says 
he will, and he may do that very thing. But the right- 
eous will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. 

But here comes some one wanting to know what is to 
become of those individuals who never did see the land 
of Canaan and those who left and did not get back. 
Some people think that they must be raised from the 
dead and enter the land of Canaan yet, but the Bible 
does not talk that way. Listen : " If they had been 
mindful of that country from whence they came out. 



Jacob's Ladder. 75 

they might have had opportunity to have returned. 
But now they desire a better country, that is, a heav- 
enly." (Heb. 11: 15.) They do not desire that old 
land of Canaan, but they desire a better country. Does 
that not forever fix it in our minds that they will not 
enter into that old land of Canaan? The next inher- 
itance will be the new heaven and the new earth, and 
not the old land of Canaan. The next earth will be dif- 
ferent from this ; for it will be for immortals, and not 
for flesh and blood, and it will stand forever. 

The next thing in order is the everlasting covenant. 
Some people contend that the old covenant is yet in 
force, from the fact that God had promised that it would 
be everlasting. It is true that God promised that the 
covenant would be everlasting, but there is one thing 
that some people have overlooked, and that is that it 
was everlasting on conditions, which I will show. Let 
me read 1 Sam. 2 : 30 : " Wherefore the Lord God of 
Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house 
of thy father, should walk before me forever : but now 
the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor 
me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be 
lightly esteemed." So you see it was conditional, and 
the very language itself shows that they did not keep 
the commandments of God. 

God also promised to remember his covenant with 
them for a thousand generations ; but he also made that 
conditional, as I will show by reading Deut. 7: 8, 9: 
" Hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, 
and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from 



76 Jacob's Ladder. 

the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore 
that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, 
which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love 
him and keep his commandments to a thousand gen- 
erations.'' So you see it is conditional. If they had 
kept the commandments, God would have remembered 
his covenant with them for the thousand generations ; 
but they did not keep his commandments, as we will 
see further on. 

I now wish to notice a prophetic statement in Isaiah : 
" Now I will sing to my well beloved a song of my be- 
loved touching his vineyard. My well beloved hath a 
vineyard in a very fruitful hill." His " beloved " could 
have referred to none except the children of Israel, and 
the '' fruitful hill " was the land of Canaan. But let 
me read on : "And he fenced it, and gathered out the 
stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine: 
. . . and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, 
and it brought forth wild grapes." He did not build a 
rock fence or a plank fence, or anything of that kind ; 
but that is a prophetic statement referring to the law 
that was to the Jews only, and that kept the Gentiles 
out. The " choicest vine " referred to the children of 
Israel, the " grapes " had reference to good works or 
obedience, and the " wild grapes " referred to their 
wicked works or disobedience. So they did not keep 
his commandments. Now, what will the great Jehovah 
do with them? We will now see: "And now, inhab- 
itants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray 
you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have 



Jacob's Ladder. 77 

been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done 
in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring 
forth grapes, brought it forth will grapes? And now 
go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: 1 
will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten 
up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be 
trodden down." Notice that he says he will take away 
the hedge, or fence. Paul refers to this as a wall. Keep 
these things in your mind, for I will have a use for 
them shortly. Why was the hedge taken away? The 
answer is plain: Because they did not keep his com- 
mandments. 

Now let me read from Jeremiah : " Behold, the days 
come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant 
with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah." 
Why make another one? Why not let them keep the 
old one? Here is the same answer: Because they did 
not keep the old covenant. But let me read on : " Not 
according to the covenant that I made with their fa- 
thers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring 
them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant 
they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith 
the Lord." (Jer. 31: 31, 32.) So again I am re- 
minded that the reason the old covenant is not in force 
is because they did not keep the commandments. 

But here comes some one asking : " If they had kept 
the old law, would it have been in force to-day? " I 
am glad you ask that question. Paul has already an- 
swered it, and I will just turn and read it. I refer you 
to Heb. 8:7:'' For if that first covenant had been fault- 



78 Jacob's Ladder. 

less, then should no place have been sought for the sec- 
ond. For finding fault with them, he saith. Behold, 
the days came, saith the Lord, when I will make a new 
covenant with the house of Israel and with the house 
ofJudah." Think of it! If they had kept the old cov- 
enant, it would have been in force at this day. 

Now, since the old covenant was taken out of the 
way and a new one was to be made, we will now pro- 
ceed to show when that was done. Isaiah said : " It shall 
come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the 
Lord's house shall be established in the top of the moun- 
tains, and shall be exalted above the hills ; and all na- 
tions shall flow unto it. And many people shall go up 
and say. Come ye, let us go up to the mountain of the 
Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob ; and he will 
teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: 
for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word 
of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge 
among the nations, and shall rebuke many people : and 
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their 
spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up 
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any 
more." The '' mountain of the Lord's house " refers 
to the government of the Lord's house, and it was to 
admit all nations. Beating their swords into plow- 
shares and their spears into pruning hooks, etc., re- 
fers to the enmity between the two nations being de- 
stroyed. 

Now we have come back to Paul's statement, where 
I left you about thirty minutes ago. I have now been 



Jacob's Ladder. 79 

the round and have come back. The enmity, the fence, 
the hedge, the middle wall of partition, all refer to the 
same thing. Paul shows that at the time of the death 
of Christ the Gentiles were near, for the enmity was 
abolished in his flesh : " For he is our peace, who hath 
made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall 
of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh 
the enmity, even the law of commandments contained 
in ordinances ; for to make in himself of twain one new 
man.'' We see from this that the middle wall was 
broken down in order to make the new man. The mid- 
dle wall was the enmity, the law of commandments, 
the old covenant; and it was taken out of the way in 
order to make the new man. 

Now, since the middle wall was broken down in or- 
der to make the new man, the new man did not exist 
until the middle wall was broken down. Now we will 
see when the middle wall was broken down. I will 
first give a prophetic statement as to the time when it 
was broken down, and then refer to what the apostles 
had to say about it. I will now refer you to Zech. 11 : 
10, 11 : "And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it 
asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had 
made with all the people." The " staff, even Beauty," 
was cut asunder in order that the covenant might be 
broken ; but this passage does not tell when the " staff, 
even Beauty," was cut asunder. But let me read on : 
"And it was broken in that day." In what day? In 
the day that the " staff, even Beauty," was cut asunder. 
Then on the day that the " staff, even Beauty," was cut 



80 Jacob's Ladder. 

asunder the covenant was broken. Who or what was 
the " staff, even Beauty? " Well, read the next verse 
and we will find out: "And I said unto them. If ye 
think good, give me my price ; and if not, forbear. So 
they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver." 
Who was it betrayed for thirty pieces of silver? It 
was Christ. Then Jesus Christ was the " staff, even 
Beauty," and he was cut asunder while he was on the 
cross, and it was on that day the old covenant was abol- 
ished. Then the law that stood between the Jews and 
the Gentiles was not abolished until Christ died ; so the 
new law, or governnient, of the Lord's house did not 
begin until after the death of Christ. 

Now let us see what Paul had to say about that: 
" Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was 
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of 
the way, nailing it to his cross." (Col. 2: 14.) It 
seems that these two passages should be enough, but I 
will give one more : " Nor yet that he should offer him- 
self often, as the high priest entereth into the holy 
place every year with blood of others; for then must 
he often have suffered since the foundation of the 
world: but now once in the end of the world hath he 
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." 
This passage tells that Jesus was sacrificed in the end 
of the world. The word '' world " in this place is from 
the Greek word " aion," and it means '' age; " so Jesus 
died in the end of the Jewish age. So the old covenant 
lasted until Jesus died on the cross. 

Now, what was Paul's statement? " Hath broken 



Jacob's Ladder. 81 

down the middle wall of partition between us ; . . . 
for to make in himself of twain one new man.'' So 
that " new man " was not made until after Jesus died. 

After Christ's resurrection he told his disciples to 
go into all the world and preach the gospel to every 
creature, but he told them to wait until they were en- 
dued with power from on high. The will of Christ was 
not in force until after his death ; for " a testament is 
in force after men are dead, otherwise it is of no 
strength at all while the testator liveth." This com- 
mission was to be carried out according to his will. 
On the day of Pentecost the power came upon them, 
and then they went out preaching the word to all peo- 
ple. After Christ died his will came into force, and 
the apostles began to declare it, beginning on the day 
of Pentecost. Everlasting life was promised in that 
will ; and the conditions of that will are faith, repent- 
ance, confession, baptism, and complying with the du- 
ties of a Christian. And, last, but not least, it was to 
all nations. 

So we have learned that the middle wall that had 
been standing between the Jews and Gentiles for many 
years was abolished at the cross, and this side of the 
time we have the new man, or the kingdom or church 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the new man is not the 
church of Christ, please tell me what the " new man " 
is. It is that institution that the Lord founded — and 
that, too, for the immortal part of man, and one that 
stands above every other institution in the world. 

My friend, would you like to become a member of 



82 Jacob's Ladder. 

that "new man?'' If so, do as the Lord commands 
and the Lord will receive you as a member of that great 
institution. There is no other institution on earth like 
it, for it is the only institution on earth that is for the 
inner man and not for the outer man. Sinner, friend, 
will you come to Jesus to-night? 



THE CHURCH. 



Sermon Number Six. 



Again I call your attention to the fact that my ser- 
mons are all from the same text — Matt. 16: 18. The 
sermon to-morrow night, though, will finish this par- 
ticular series, and then we will take up other themes. 

Jesus said : " Upon this rock I will build my church.'' 
That sounds good, doesn't it? It is a good sermon with- 
in itself. There are many good lessons in it, and many 
people fail to get those good lessons. 

" I will build " shows that it had not been built, but 
would be built some time in the future. Every man who 
is willing to take the Bible for his guide is willing to 
say that it means that the church had not been built up 
to that time. Sometimes you will hear an attempt made 
to prove that Jesus meant that he would replenish the 
church, or continue to build it. In the first place, it 
cannot be proved by scholars that the expression means 
to edify, or replenish; but, as Thayer says, it means 
to found. Suppose that the expression could mean to 
replenish as well as to found; it could not mean it in 
this place, and I will tell you why. Notice, he says : 
" Upon this rock I will build my church." The rock 
is the foundation. " Upon this foundation will I build 
my church." If the church had been built some time 
before that, on that foundation, why should he say. 



84 Jacob's Ladder. 

" Upon this foundation I will edify my church? '' Why 
not just say, " I will edify my church? " 

Let me illustrate. This building is erected on a foun- 
dation of brick. The house was built on the founda- 
tion, and has been standing for perhaps ten years. It 
has recently been replenished. How would it do to say, 
"This house was replenished on the foundation?" 
Would any be so simple as to think we would have to 
take it off the foundation to replenish it? Then the 
expression could not mean, " Upon this rock I will ed- 
ify my church; " but just as it is written, " Upon this 
rock I will build my church." 

Now, it is not my purpose to try to exhaust the sub- 
ject, for I will not have time to do that; and, then, I 
could not do it if I wanted to. In my younger days I 
got the foolish idea into my head that I must exhaust 
the subject, or the people would think I could not preach 
very much ; and, to tell the truth about it, I generally 
did exhaust all I knew about the subject in a very short 
time. 

I remember hearing Brother W. A. Schultz preach a 
very able discourse on a very important subject at 
Smithwick, Texas, about fifteen years ago. After he 
had finished, a young preacher took him to one side 
and told him that he would give him several pointers. 
He told Brother Schultz that he had left out some of it. 
Brother Schultz admitted that he had left out a great 
deal of it, and told the young man that he did not want 
to tell it all in one sermon. Brother Schultz heard the 
young man tell his story, though, and then went on to 
other duties. 



Jacob's Ladder. 85 

Now in the few sermons that I have preached I real- 
ize that I have just mentioned a few of the important 
things of the church; but there are other subjects that 
are demanding our attention, so I will close this par- 
ticular line to-morrow night. 

As I have said before, when Jesus said he would 
build his church, he had no reference to such things as 
the denominations of to-day. The church was used 
in the singular number. Sometimes people will refer 
to the seven churches of Asia, as though they were dif- 
ferent denominations. It only referred to the different 
congregations of the church of Christ — ^like I would say, 
" the churches of Christ in Arkansas." 

Then when Jesus speaks of the church, he uses it in 
the singular number, and he prayed that his people 
should be one. Paul said there is one body. I love that 
oneness for which Jesus prayed. There cannot be one- 
ness among denominations. The only way to be one 
is for all who are willing to be in one body to lay down 
denominations and dogmas of men and just be Chris- 
tians. If the church of Christ was popular, it would 
have a great many more members than it has now ; but 
it has been unpopular from the time that the first part 
of the foundation was laid. 

I remember hearing Brother Oliver tell about going 
to a fashionable church to preach. He began preach- 
ing with the motto : "A ' Thus saith the Lord ' for all 
things." The organ and other instruments broke the 
silence in the large church building the first night of 
the meeting. He hardly knew what to do. He was op- 



86 Jacob's Ladder. 

posed to instrumental music in the worship, and wanted 
to tell them the evil of it; but now just how to get at it 
was the proposition. So night after night he kept the 
motto before their minds. One night, when they went 
to service, the organ and the other instruments were 
placed up in one corner and used as hat and coat racks, 
and the silence was broken that night by singing 
'' Nearer, My God, to Thee," without the aid of instru- 
mental music. He said he preached an old-time ser- 
mon, and the '' amens " were heard from all parts of 
the house. The old ladies and the old gentlemen were 
heard singing that night. Their voices were somewhat 
broken, and a discord was made now and then; but 
they were singing praises to God, and they should not 
be denied the privilege. 

Some one has suggested that all of the different de- 
nominations are churches of Christ. How can that be? 
Is Christ divided? The church of Christ is one. Men 
can receive people into denominations, but the Lord 
receives people into the church of Christ. That is one 
of the many differences. If all of the different denom- 
inations are churches of Christ, what is the result? 
Well, the church is the bride and Christ is the groom. 
Paul tells us that Christ is the head of the church, as 
the man is the head of his wife. Is Christ the head 
of all the different denominations? If so, how many 
wives would he have? Is Christ a polygamist? Cer- 
tainly not. The fact is, the denominations are not the 
churches of Christ. 

The way to be sure that we are in the church of 



Jacob's Ladder. 87 

Christ is to believe, repent, confess, and be baptized, 
and the Lord will receive us into his church. Do not 
be uneasy because there is no outward display about it, 
but remember that it is the inner man that is a mem- 
ber of the church, and not the outer man. Men can re- 
ceive us into lodges and man-made churches, but they 
cannot receive us into the church of Christ. 

I promised that to-night I would tell why I believe 
that the church will stand forever. I also promised to 
give some more good reasons why I believe the church 
has stood from the time it was founded to this present 
time. It is the same institution now that it was at that 
time. 

Now, remember that the church is referred to as a 
person or creature. It is called a " man,'' I suppose, 
because it has head, members, spirit, blood, and a law 
of life. These things are indispensable. A man can- 
not live without a head ; a body has members ; the body 
cannot live without blood, and it must have a law of 
life. Now, I will handle each of these things separately. 
There are two things I want to prove in this lesson. 
One is when the church was established, and the other 
is that the church has stood to this present time. Now, 
can I do that? We will see. 

Now, in order to make my argument as plain as I 
possibly can, I will illustrate it on the board. I will 
now draw a cross on the board and let it represent the 
cross of Christ, and on the left side of it, or before he 
died, I will place these things that I have just men- 
tioned, which are the different parts of the church— 



88 Jacob's Ladder. 

head, members, spirit, blood, and law of life. Now, if 
after investigation I find that these things did not exist, 
then I will remove them one by one from before the 
death of Christ and put them on this side of the cross. 

The first thing to notice, then, is the head. Jesus 
said : " I will build my church." Then he must be the 
head and founder of it. Does the Bible tell us that Je- 
sus is the head of the church? If he is the head, when 
was he made head? Was he the head of the church 
from the time he was born of the flesh? Certainly not. 
It seems that I can remember Paul's saying something 
about when Christ was made head of the church. Yes, 
here it is : " Which he wrought in Christ, when he 
raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right 
hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, 
and power, and might, and dominion, and every name 
that is named, not only in this world, but also in that 
which is to come: and hath put all things under his 
feet, and gave him to he the head over all things to the 
church.'' (Eph. 1: 20-22.) Then he was not given 
to be head of the church until after he ascended into 
heaven. This corresponds with Dan. 7 : 13, 14, which 
tells that Jesus received the kingdom after he went in 
the clouds to the Ancient of days. Now, since he was 
not given to be head of the church until after he died, 
I will erase the head from the place before the cross 
and put it on this side, where it rightly belongs. 

Next we notice the members. A body must have 
members. I have already stated that every child of 
God is a member of the church of Christ. But the 



Jacob's Ladder. 89 

question is, Who were the first members? Sometimes 
we refer to them as " charter members/* We cannot 
find the beginning of any institution without finding 
first the charter members and the time they are con- 
sidered as charter members. Is any so ignorant as to 
say that John the Baptist was the first member of the 
church of Christ? Surely not; for Jesus said, after 
John's death, '' I will build my church/' John said 
he must decrease, while Christ would increase. That 
is enough to show that John the Baptist was not even 
a member of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Again I ask. Who were the first members? Does the 
Bible tell us who they were? It seems to me that I 
have read just such statement, but I will look and see. 
Yes, here it is : "And God hath set some in the church, 
first apostles.'' (1 Cor. 12: 28.) Then the apostles 
were the first members of the church. But some one 
will say that this means that the apostles were the first 
oflScers of the church. Did the church exist at first 
without any officers? Does not Christ stand first in 
rank of officers in the church of Christ? Then it 
means, as it says, that they were the first members of 
the church. On the day of Pentecost the church be- 
gan with the apostles ; and after the sermon was 
preached, three thousand were added to the number. 
The Lord added them to the church. But here comes a 
person wanting to know when the apostles were added. 
I am glad you ask the question, for I was just about to 
forget that part of it. Does Paul answer that ques- 
tion, too ? Yes, I believe he does, and I think you will 



90 Jacob's Ladder. 

find it in Eph. 4 : 8-12 : '' When he ascended up on high, 
he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 
. . . And he gave some, apostles ; and some, proph- 
ets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and 
teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work 
of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.'' 
When was this done? '' When he ascended up on high," 
says the divine record. Now, since the apostles were 
the first members and they were not so considered un- 
til after the ascension of Christ, then there were no 
members of the church of Christ before Jesus died. 
So I erase the members from that side of the cross, as 
it appears on the board, and place it on this side of the 
death of Christ, where it rightly belongs. 

We have given enough proof already to show that 
the church was not established before Christ died ; for 
how could a church exist without head or members? 
There was a church before Jesus died, and the apos- 
tles and Christ were members of it ; but it was the old 
Jewish church, and not the church of Christ. Even 
the old church building was still standing after the 
death of Christ, but the veil had been rent in twain. 
The building I refer to was the temple. It stood un- 
til it was destroyed, in the year 70, by Titus and the 
soldiers. That was a grand building, but nothing to 
compare with the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Now the next thing in this lesson is the Spirit. The 
one body has the Spirit in it. There is a sense in which 
the Spirit was here a long time before Christ died, but 
not in the sense that it is here now. Joel said : "And 



Jacob's Ladder. 91 

it shall come to pass afterwards, that I will pour out 
my Spirit upon all flesh." That was not fulfilled un- 
til the day of Pentecost and later. Then Jesus said: 
" If I go not away, the Comforter will not come." " I 
will pray the Father, and he shall give you another 
Comforter, that he may abide with you forever." In 
this sense it is mentioned in John 7 : 39 : " For the Holy 
Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not 
yet glorified." Dan. 7 : 14 tells us that Jesus received 
his glory when he went to heaven. So the Spirit that 
is in the church did not come until the day of Pente- 
cost. You can now understand why we do not pray 
God to send the Spirit down, for we have not yet felt 
his absence. Now if the church existed before Jesus 
died, it did not have this Spirit in it ; so we erase the 
word " Spirit " from that side of the cross and put it 
this side of the death of Christ, where it properly be- 
longs. 

Now we come to the blood. A body has blood. What 
blood has the church, or body of Christ? If the church 
was established before Christ died, did it have the 
blood of Christ in it? Certainly not. The blood of 
animals was the only blood that was shed until Jesus 
died on the cross. If the church had existed back there, 
it could not have had any blood in it, except the blood 
of animals; therefore it could have had no salvation 
in it, for Paul says it is not possible that the blood of 
animals should take away sins. The blood of Christ, 
then, is the blood in the church of Christ ; and a man 
will get the benefits of that blood when he gets into the 



92 Jacob's Ladder. 

church of Christ. So before the death of Christ the 
blood of Christ did not exist, and we erase it from that 
side of the cross and put it at its place this side of the 
death of Christ, where it rightly belongs. So if the 
church of Christ existed before Jesus died, it did not 
have the blood in it. 

Now the next thing in order is the law" of life. What 
is the law of life for the church of Christ? Is it the 
old Jewish law? If so, then there should be no Gen- 
tiles in the church of Christ, for the old covenant was 
to the Jews only. I proved by Zech. 11 : 10, 11 ; Eph. 
2: 15; Col. 2: 14; and Heb. 9: 12 that the old law or 
covenant was taken away at the cross. The old law 
lasted up to the cross, and the new one began this side 
of the cross. Paul says : " He taketh away the first, 
that he may establish the second." The law of life 
for the church of Christ is the new testament, and 
Paul tells us that a testament is of force after men are 
dead, otherwise it is of no strength at all while the tes- 
tator lives. While Jesus was here, he said, before he 
died, that he came not to do his own will, but the will 
of the Father; but his own will came into force after 
he died. So if the church was established before Jesus 
died, it did not have the law of life ; so we erase it from 
that side of the cross, as it appears on the board, and 
place it on this side, where it rightly belongs. 

So this side of the death of Christ, beginning on the 
day of Pentecost, we have the head, members. Spirit, 
blood, and law of life; but if the church was estab- 
lished before Jesus died, it did not have any of these 



Jacob's Ladder. 93 

things. What would a church be without head, mem- 
bers, spirit, blood, or law of life? It would be nothing, 
is the only way I can answer it. 

Now the next thing is to prove that the church, as 1 
have scripturally described it, has existed from the 
days of the apostles to our time. When I have finished 
that, then the subject will be done for to-night. It was 
in A.D. 33 when this church began on the day of Pen- 
tecost, and this is A.D. 1913. In A.D. 33 we find the 
church beginning, with Christ as head, all Christians 
as members, thei Holy Spirit as the guide, the blood of 
Christ as the cleansing fountain, and the new covenant 
as the law of life. Now what do we find at this date? 
We find Christ as head, all Christians as members, the 
Holy Spirit as the guide, the blood of Christ as the 
cleansing fountain, and the new covenant as the law of 
life. So the same things that it took to make up the 
church at the beginning are here now. Now listen: 
Has Christ at any time ceased to be the head? Has 
the time ever been since the day of Pentecost when 
Christians were not members of the church of Christ? 
Is not the same Spirit in existence, and has been all 
the time since the church began on Pentecost? Has 
not the blood of Christ been the cleansing fountain dur- 
ing all this time? Has there been a time since the be- 
ginning of the church when the new covenant did not 
exist? Certainly not. Then everything that it took 
to make up the church in the beginning has existed 
every moment of time from then until now. That 
proves church perpetuity to me. Now, my friend, this 



94 Jacob's Ladder. 

is the church I belong to. I did not join it. I simply 
obeyed the gospel, and the Lord added me to that 
church, as he did the three thousand at the beginning: 
If we could only get people to lay down denomination- 
alism and all be members of the church of Christ, how 
much better it would be for all concerned! There is 
nothing in the denominations for any man, but there is 
much in being a member of the church of Christ. 

Think about it ! This institution has been purchased 
by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no 
other institution on earth that has that claim. This 
church is partly on earth and partly in heaven, for it 
is the family of God. No other institution can claim to 
have a part of its membership in heaven. Jesus is not 
a member of the Masonic lodge, or the Methodist 
Church, or any other institution founded by man ; but 
he is the head of the church that he said he would build 
on the rock. 

But be sure not to forget that the church is for the 
inner man, and not for the outer man. When this body 
is dissolved, the spirit will still exist and still hold its 
relation to the church of Christ. So a person can be a 
member of the church of Christ even in the interme- 
diate state between death and the resurrection. 

Again, there is a name that we wear as members of 
the church of Christ, and that name is the name 
" Christian." We will not cease to wear the name 
" Christian '' when we enter the intermediate state, 
and we will wear the name " Christian " on the other 
side of the river of death if we have successfully won 
the battles for Christ. 



Jacob's Ladder. 95 

So the church will exist as long as this world stands, 
and it will exist in the intermediate state, and it will 
be in its most glorious state in the world to come. 
Now you can begin to see many of our reasons why we 
are members of the church of Christ. If you are a 
child of God, you are a member of this church. You 
do not have to join it. Men cannot receive you into it. 
You do as the Lord commands, and he will receive you 
into it. In that way there is no danger of a person get- 
ting into the wrong church. 

The inner man has a great journey to make, and he 
is looking for a vessel in which to make the trip. He 
has some idea of the rough waves in crossing the river 
of death. He notices all of the little crafts, and their 
managers are anxious for people to get on board; but 
he finds out that none of them expect to be able to cross 
that great wave of death, but expect to stop this side. 
But he reminds them that his destination is on the 
other side of that wave, and he must find a vessel that 
will cross over. He tries the lodges, but he is told that 
they only sail on the sea of time and that the vessel 
is not made for eternity's great ocean. He then tries 
different denominations, but he is told that they do not 
expect to try to sail the craft across that rough wave, 
as their vessel is not made for eternity. He hears about 
one that has been in existence ever since the year 33, 
and he decides to investigate it. On investigation he 
finds that it is made for time and eternity and that it 
will cross the rough waves of death and sail success- 
fully in eternity's great ocean. He has now found the 



96 Jacob's Ladder. 

church of Christ, the one against which death cannot 
prevail. So he enters the great ship and is now on his 
way. 

My friend, are you in the little crafts that are bound 
for ports this side of the river of death, or are you on 
the great vessel that will carry its passengers safely 
to the other shore? We are very anxious that you en- 
ter this vessel. Will you come on board? If you are a 
believer, if you have repented of your sins, if you have 
confessed your faith in Christ, then be baptized, and 
the Lord will enlist your name as one of the passengers 
on the great vessel. Will you come to-night? 






THE CHURCH. 



Sermon Number Seven. 



I have been promising every night since I have been 
preaching on this particular series that at the conclu- 
sion of this subject I would tell how the spirit man 
becomes a member of that spiritual institution, the 
church of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have remarked in 
nearly every sermon that the church of Christ is for 
the inner man, and not for the outer man. 

During the series of lessons I have shown when the 
church began, the difference between it and human in- 
stitutions, and the reason why it will live after all other 
institutions have gone down. I also drew a dim pic- 
ture of the church in the intermediate state. 

Now, as I have said, I promised to tell you to-night 
how the spirit man becomes a member of that spiritual 
institution, contrasting it with the way the Jews en- 
tered the kingdom of the Jews. I stated that we did 
not join this church and that we were not received into 
it by human hands. I also stated that a person's name 
on the ordinary church roll does not make him a mem- 
ber of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, but that he 
must be received by the Lord and that his name must 
be written in the Lamb's book of life in heaven. 

Now the first duty that falls on me to-night is to 
show that man has that spiritual existence, and then 
4 



98 Jacob's Ladder. 

show how he becomes a member of the spiritual institu- 
tion. Referring to the lesson that was read in your 
hearing to-night, I read : " When I consider thy heav- 
ens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, 
which thou hast ordained ; what is m.an, that thou art 
mindful of him? and the Son of man, that thou visitest 
him?" Here is the great question, and one that 
has never been answered to my satisfaction. Some of 
it I think I understand, but there is something about 
it that I do not expect to understand until I become a 
citizen of that eternal country. But that a man has a 
spirit, that that spirit came from God and returns to 
God, and that the spirit is immortal, I will now prove. 

Why is it that after considering the sun, the moon, 
the earth, the heavens, and, in fact, all of God's crea- 
tion until it comes to man, there is something about 
man that makes God mindful of him? Is it possible 
that there is something about man that is better than 
all of God's creation except him? It seems so. The 
time is coming when the sun will shine no more, the 
stars will no longer give their twinkling light, the moon 
will no longer shine, the present heavens and earth 
will pass away, all animal life will cease to exist; but 
there is something about man that still lives. It must 
be that immortal, or spirit, part of man. One reason 
why God is mindful of man is because a part of man is 
from heaven. 

After the creation of all other things, then man came 
in as the crowning work of God's creation. He formed 
man's body of the dust of the ground, and in that re- 



Jacob's Ladder. 99 

spect man is not better than the animals ; but there is 
another part of man that did not come from the dust 
of the ground. I shall be able to prove that man has 
a spirit, that the spirit is immortal, that it exists be- 
tween death and the resurrection, and is that part of 
man that will receive the blessings of eternity. 

After I have proved that man has that spirit part, and 
that it came from God and is not of the part that came 
from dust, then I will show how that part of man be- 
comes a member of the church of Christ. It is not the 
flesh and blood that enters into the kingdom of God, 
but it is the spirit man. I might read a short extract 
from Paul just at this point: '' Flesh and blood can- 
not inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corrup- 
tion inherit incorruption.'' Then it must be the inner 
man that is a member of the kingdom of the Lord Je- 
sus Christ. Again, Paul says : " The natural man re- 
ceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they 
are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, 
because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Cor: 2: 
14.) The natural man is the mortal part of man, the 
body; and the kingdom is one of the things of the 
Spirit of God. So it is for the inner man, and not for 
the outer man. This position is rather hard on the 
man who claims that man is all matter. 

I am aware of the fact that there are people in the 
world who believe that man is all matter, and all there 
is of man is what is placed in the casket and lowered 
into the earth and covered up to molder back to its orig- 
inal substance. The atheists, the agnostics, the Ad- 



100 Jacob's Ladder. 

ventists, the Christadelphians, and some others, be- 
lieve that man is all matter. Those religious sects that 
claim man to be all matter speak of the spirit in man 
as the breath that he breathes, and some of them make 
an attempt to prove by the Greek that it should be 
" breath '' instead of " spirit." Think of it! When Je- 
sus was dying, he commended his spirit to God. Who 
could be so far from truth as to say that he commended 
his breath to God? Then think about Stephen, who, 
just before he died, commended his spirit to God. Did 
he commend his breath to God? If the spirit is what 
we breathe into our lungs and then exhale, with all of 
the impurities it contains, just think what Stephen 
commended to God! Then suppose that Stephen had 
been a tobacco chewer and had commended his tobacco- 
scented breath to God ! It would have been an insult. 

The atheistic idea is that man came by evolution; 
that the first life was in a very small substance, which 
began to develop and evolve ; and that through all these 
years a gradual development and evolving of different 
species of animal life finally placed the monkey, the 
babboon, and other animals, and that finally man be- 
came a result of this evolution. Now if this be true, 
why did it stop so suddenly? Why is it that a man is 
not thrown into our midst now as a recent development 
of the atheistic idea? Has nature lost its wand? But 
speaking of monkeys being evolved into men reminds 
me of what I read a few years ago from some maga- 
zine: "According to Darwin and other atheistic re- 
searches, it takes a monkey thousands of years to make 



Jacob's Ladder. 101 

a man of himself, but a man can make a monkey of 
himself in a few minutes." How can men claim that 
this intelligence we possess came from the animal crea- 
tion, when it was not there in the first place? How 
can intelligence be evolved, when it is not there to be 
evolved ? The atheistic problem is, out of nothing comes 
nothing. If that be true, then something must have al- 
ways existed, and down would go their theory. But 
enough on that. I am not surprised when I hear the 
man who does not believe in the Bible say that man is 
all matter; but when a man who claims to believe the 
holy record says that man is all matter, I confess that 
I am somewhat puzzled; for if there is anything that 
is made plain in the Book of all books, it is that man 
has a spirit and that that spirit camxe from God and 
will go back to God. 

We know there is something in man that causes him 
to be a worshiping creature, and that you do not find 
in the animal creation. This religious inclination is 
from the inner man that is clothed upon by this man 
that we look upon with our natural eyes. God ad- 
dresses himself to this part of man. As I have said in 
my remarks on the kingdom question, the kingdom ap- 
peals to the spirit man, and not to the natural or out- 
ward man. The only thing in all of God's creation that 
has the promise of a life beyond this state of existence 
is the inner man. 

We read from Genesis that God formed man of the 
dust of the ground. We understand by that expression 
that man was shaped or molded. The part of man 



102 Jacob's Ladder. 

that was made from the dust is the part of man that 
we can see, for it is the mortal part. The Lord said 
concerning it: " Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou 
return." Now if this was all there is to man, it could 
be truthfully said that man is all matter; but that is 
not all there is of man. We read that man has a spirit. 
Whence came this spirit? Is it a part of the formation 
from the dust? Now, is there not another formation 
besides the body? Let me see. I refer you to Zech. 
12 : 1 : " The burden of the word of the Lord for Is- 
rael, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, 
and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth 
the spirit of man within him.'' From this we learn 
that man has a spirit in him and that it is formed as 
well as the body. The body is from the dust, but the 
spirit came from God and is just as incorruptible as 
God. So there are two formations, and that is the 
reason we refer to the body as the outward man and 
the spirit as the inward man. One is called the " nat- 
ural man," while the other is called the " spiritual 
man." One is from the earth, and the other is from 
heaven. 

But listen: Away back, when the morning stars 
sung together and the sons of God shouted for joy, we 
can hear the great Deity say : " Let us make man in 
our own image." Now, what part of man is made in 
God's image? Is it this mortal man? Is he in God's 
image? Surely not. Christ was of the number to 
whom God said : " Let us make man in our own image." 
Man is now made, and some part of him is in God's 



Jacob's Ladder. 103 

image. Is it this old body? If man's body is like God, 
then God and man are just alike. Now let me read an 
extract from the writings of Paul : ''And changed the 
glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like 
to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed 
beasts, and creeping things." They had made images 
like corruptible man, but they could not make an image 
of God. Then the corruptible body of man is not the 
part of man that is made in God's image. If it was, 
then we could make an image of man, and it would 
also be an image of God. In the course of time it was 
necessary for Christ to make his advent into the world. 
Did he come into the world in the same form that he 
was in heaven ? If man's body was made in God's im- 
age, then why not Christ come with his heavenly body? 
'* In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was 
with God, and the Word was God. The same was in 
the beginning with God. All things were made by him ; 
and without him was not anything made that was 
made." That Word that was in the beginning with 
God is the same Christ who was here in the flesh. "And 
the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Why 
should he be made flesh like man if he was already like 
man? When Christ came, he took not upon himself 
the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham. If it 
was man's body that was made like God, then Christ 
could have come as he was. It was the inner man that 
was made like God. After Christ had done the work 
that was his to do on earth, he went back to heaven 
and received the same glory that he had before the 
world was. 



104 Jacob's Ladder. 

In 1 Cor. 15 : 50 Paul says : " Neither doth corrup- 
tion inherit incorruption." If everything about man is 
corrupt, how can he ever inherit incorruption? Since 
we do inherit incorruption, there must be enough 
incorruption in us to inherit the incorruption; other- 
wise we will never be incorrupt. It is the spirit part 
of man that is incorrupt, and it is that part of man that 
makes God mindful of man, as my text says. 

Now, if it be true that man is not all matter and that 
a part of the man is from heaven and the rest is mat- 
ter, what will become of the man when he dies? Does 
not the Bible say : " Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt 
thou return? " Yes ; but that was only referring to the 
body, for the spirit part of man is not of dust. There 
is no question about where the body goes, for that is 
known to all ; but some seem to have never learned that 
the spirit does not go to the grave. But let us hear the 
Preacher : " Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the 
golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the 
fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then 
shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the 
spirit shall return unto God who gave it." (Eccles. 
12: 6, 7.) Did you ever read of death being pictured 
in such terms in any other book? He drew the picture 
in very beautiful figurative expressions, but at the cli- 
max he said : " Then shall the dust return to the earth 
as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who 
gave it." 

Some people get the idea from this that the spirit 
goes to its everlasting reward as soon as the body dies, 



Jacob's Ladder. 105 

but that is not the idea conveyed by that passage. It 
is in God's care; it is in Hades, or the intermediate 
state. The spirit is unclothed during the intermediate 
state, but the spirit reaches its everlasting reward after 
the resurrection of the body. Hades, as I have said in 
another sermon, is not a place, but a state of existence. 
This Hades is paradise to a good man, v^hile it is Tar- 
tarus to the bad man. If it be true that men go to hell 
or heaven as soon as they die, then there is no Hades, 
for there would be no intermediate state; but if these 
spirits remain unclothed until the resurrection of the 
body, then there is an intermediate state; and there is 
no name for it but " Hades," for it is the condition of 
departed spirits. 

The Pharisees and Sadducees were divided on this 
question. The Sadducees did not believe in spirits or 
the resurrection, but the Pharisees believed in both. 
Paul took this matter up while he was in the ministry, 
and I will read a description of it as it is given in Acts 
23, beginning with verse 6 : '' But when Paul perceived 
that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Phari- 
sees, he cried out in the council. Men and brethren, / am 
a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and res- 
urrection of the dead I am called in question. And 
when he had so said, there arose a dissension between 
the Pharisees and the Sadducees ; and the multitude was 
divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no res- 
urrection, neither angel, nor spirit : but the Pharisees 
confess both." Paul said he was among those who 
believed in spirits and the resurrection. Paul believed 



106 Jacob's Ladder. 

that man has a spirit. You cannot blame the Saddu- 
cees for not believing in the resurrection ; for if it be 
true that man is all matter, a resurrection is impossi- 
ble ; for if there should be anything at all, it would be a 
re-creation, and not a resurrection. In Matt. 22: 32- 
34 we find an argument against the doctrine of the 
Sadducees : " I am the God of Abraham, and the God 
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of 
the dead, but of the living. And when the multitude 
heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. But 
when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sad- 
ducees to silence." You will note that God was the God 
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, after all three of them 
were dead; yet he is not the God of the dead. That 
shows that some part of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob 
still lived. The argument put the Sadducees to silence, 
for it was against their doctrine. 

Again, Jesus said : " That which is born of the flesh is 
flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." The 
spirit is not born, of the flesh, neither is the flesh born 
of the Spirit. So God addresses himself to that part of 
man which is from above, and not the body, or natural 
man. 

So you can see from the arguments that I have given 
that man has a spirit, and that spirit is formed in the 
man; that it is the inner man, the part of man that 
makes God mindful of him, the part of man that is con- 
verted, and the part of man that will be saved in eter- 
nity. 

Now the question is being asked : How can this spirit 



Jacob's Ladder. 107 

man become a member of that spiritual institution? 
Are you ready for the question ? Are you ready for the 
answer? Well, follow me for a short time and I will 
see if it is answered in the Book of books. 

I have referred you to the old Jewish church ; but I 
must bring it up again, for it will help us out in this 
lesson. The old Jewish church was for the outer man. 
How do I know? Simply because it was an earthly 
possession. They inherited all the blessings given in 
that covenant by virtue of the natural birth. In other 
words, the Jews were born into the Jewish kingdom 
by the natural birth. 

I remember hearing a preacher at Plumerville, 
Ark., say that the Jews entered the Jewish kingdom 
at eight days old. He claimed to me that he could speak 
fluently in Greek and Hebrew, but he was very ignorant 
on that point. His idea was that the Jews entered the 
Jewish church by being circumcised. Of course he did 
not take time to think that a position like that would 
keep all the women out of the church. The Jews were 
members of the Jewish church from the time they were 
little babies. Then they did not have to join it, did 
they? They were members of the old Jewish church 
because they were the natural descendants of Jacob. 

Now if I want to join the lodge, I will sign the appli- 
cation, and some brother will take it up into the lodge 
room, and the members will vote on me; and if I am 
not blackballed, I can join. But I must learn the les- 
son, take the degrees, and promise not to tell the se- 
crets, and then I am received by the members of the 



108 Jacob's Ladder. 

institution. The lodge belongs to men; they have 
founded it, and they have a right to receive men into 
it ; but the church of Christ was not founded by man 
without the aid of the Spirit. 

If it is my desire to join some denomination, I put 
in my application to the members of the institution or 
present myself at some of the services when they " open 
the doors of the church." They will take my case be- 
fore the church. If in the judgment of the church they 
pronounce me saved, then they will receive me into 
the church. Well, the church belongs to them, and they 
have a right to receive people into it; but no man can 
receive people into the church of Christ. 

Well, a man can join any of the different denomina- 
tions, but he does not join the church of Christ. Why? 
Because it is for the outer man, and not for the inner 
man. Men can receive people into denominations, but 
no man can receive people into the church of Christ. 
Why? Because the church is for the inner man, and 
not for the outer man. We can read the history of all 
the conversions and we cannot see where any joined 
the church of Christ. I tell you, that is not the way 
they became members of it. 

When you show me a saved man, I will show you a 
man who is a member of the church of Christ ; for the 
very act that makes a man a member of the church of 
Christ is the act that saves him. Then it is foolish to 
talk about a saved man becoming a member of the 
church of Christ. Some people think it so very strange 
that we do not join the church, but we do not. But 



Jacob's Ladder. 109 

some one is asking: " Well, if you do not join it and no 
man can receive you into it, how can you become a 
member of it? '' I will take pleasure in answering 
your question. 

All the apostles were members of the Jewish church, 
John the Baptist was a member of the Jewish church, 
Jesus Christ was a member of the Jewish church ; and 
how did they become members? They were members 
by the natural birth. You could ask them how they 
became members of the Jewish church, and it would be 
no trouble for them to answer the question. 

While Jesus was here, there was a certain other mem- 
ber of the Jewish church who came to Jesus by night, 
and he seemed to be very anxious about this matter; 
but, of course, at that time he did not know what kind 
of a kingdom Jesus was going to establish. But Jesus 
said to him : " Except a man be born again, he cannot 
see the kingdom of God.'' So, looking at it from a nat- 
ural standpoint, the puzzled Jew inquired how that 
could be. He wanted to know if he must enter the sec- 
ond time into his mother's womb and be born again. 
He had not yet learned that the kingdom of Christ was 
for the inner man, and not for the flesh. He knew 
that he was born into the Jewish church by the natural 
birth, and that is all he knew about that; so he was 
very much puzzled over the matter. But Jesus said to 
him again : " Except a man be born of water and of the 
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." This 
puts it in a little different light before the Jew, but he 
still does not understand. But he could understand 



110 Jacob's Ladder. 

that whatever that water and Spirit meant, a man 
could not get into the kingdom without it. 

There is no question as to what this Spirit is, but 
there are many ideas about what the water means here. 
It just says " water," and I am inclined to believe it is 
water. Mr. J. R. Graves says that it refers to water 
baptism. The Methodist " Discipline '' says that it re- 
fers to water baptism. In fact, in baptism is the only 
place where water is used in the whole plan of salva- 
tion ; so it must have reference to water baptism. Then 
in order to enter the kingdom a person must be born 
again, and that birth is of water and the Spirit. It is 
not a birth without the Spirit, neither is it a birth with- 
out water ; but it is of water and the Spirit. 

The first birth is a natural birth, and that brought 
the Jew into the Jewish kingdom ; but now, to enter the 
kingdom of Christ, he must be bom again, but not the 
same way. The first birth was natural, but the second 
is spiritual. 

Now, to still show the puzzled Jew that the new birth 
was a spiritual birth, and for the inner man, and not 
for the outer man, he said : " That which is born of 
flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit." 
The first birth was of the flesh, and it pertained to the 
flesh and brought him into a fleshly kingdom ; but now 
it is the spirit, or inner man, that is the subject of the 
new birth. The flesh is not born of the Spirit, neither 
is the spirit born of the flesh. So it is the inner man 
that is born again, and not the outer man. All this 
goes to prove my statements about the inner man's be- 



Jacob's Ladder. Ill 

ing a member of the church, or kingdom, of the Lord 
Jesus Christ, and not the outer man. 

Again, Jesus said : '' The wind bloweth where it list- 
eth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not 
t^U whence it cometh, and whither it goeth : so is every 
one that is born of the Spirit." Some people seem to 
be very much puzzled about this passage, and some 
give it as an explanation of their conversion by a direct 
operation of the Holy Spirit. 

One man said: '' My experience is just as it is ex- 
pressed in that verse." 

" Do you mean to tell me that the Spirit came to you 
as it is described, and that you did not know where it 
was from, etc.? " 

" Yes, that is exactly what I mean." 

Now, if a man does not know where the Spirit is 
from, how can he tell whether it is from God or not, 
and how can he tell whether it operated on him or some 
other man ? 

The truth of the matter is, Jesus was still trying to 
get the idea in the mind of the Jew that it was the 
inner man to be changed and saved, and not the outer 
man. Suppose that at the close of this sermon a man 
comes up to make the confession and demands baptism. 
We see him when he comes up, and w^e hear him make 
the confession of his faith in Christ, and the next day 
we witness the scene of his baptism. We see the 
preacher and candidate as they go down into the wa- 
ter ; we hear the preacher say the ceremony ; then the 
water separates, and the candidate passes out of our 



112 Jacob's Ladder. 

sight for a second; then the water separates, and he 
comes forth from that watery grave and goes on his 
way rejoicing. All these things we can see and hear, 
but there was a change in the inward man that we did 
not see and God's part in heaven that we did not see. 
Why? Because it is the inner man that is converted, 
and not the outer man. 

First, the seed, which is the word of God, is sown 
in the heart, or the inner man. It takes root and be- 
gins to grow. There is a faint beginning of a new life 
in the individual. That continues on and on until the 
man is made a believer, for faith is a fruit of the Spirit ; 
and finally the man repents, which is also a fruit of the 
Spirit. This leads to a confession of one's faith in 
Christ, and then he submits to the ordinance of baptism 
in order to be forgiven. In this I have given the plan 
of salvation. How was the man saved? By water 
and the Spirit. How was he born again? By water 
and the Spirit. 

But some one is ready to say that we are born again 
by faith alone. He will introduce 1 John 5 : 1 : " Who- 
soever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of 
God." The passage is correct, but it does not prove 
that a person is born again by faith alone. Some one 
else refers to 1 John 4 : 7 : " Beloved, let us love one 
another : for love is of God ; and every one that loveth 
is born of God." Does this mean that a person is born 
of God by love only? Certainly not. Love is a part of 
it, but it is not by that alone. Now let me introduce a 
passage from the same book (1 John 2: 29) : " If ye 



Jacob's Ladder. 113 

know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that 
doeth righteousness is born of him." Now, shall we say 
that a man is born again three times — once by faith, 
once by love, and once by doing righteousness? No, 
there is but one new birth. Jesus did not say, " Ex- 
cept a man be born again and again and again," but 
just '' again." It takes faith, love, and doing right- 
eousness to complete that birth. The birth cannot be 
by love without faith, neither can it be by faith with- 
out love, neither can it be by faith and love without 
doing righteousness, because it says " believeth is," 
" loveth is," " doeth righteousness is." So it cannot be 
by just one and not the rest. So the birth is completed 
after all these things or before any of them. In other 
words, salvation is conditional or it is unconditional; 
it cannot be both. 

But listen : We have learned that we are born into 
the kingdom of Christ. It is quite a fad among a great 
many religious people to talk about people's getting 
saved and then joining the church. The big evangel- 
ist will come and hold a union meeting, and perhaps 
fifty will claim that they are saved. They say they are 
now the children of God, and now the meeting is over 
and they are to join the church of their choice. It is 
true that a child of God can join the Masonic lodge 
(I am not saying that it is right to do that) or some 
other human institution founded by man. A man can 
become a child of God and then join the Methodist 
Church or any other denomination, but no man can 
become a child of God and then join the church of 



114 Jacob's Ladder. 

Christ. Why? Because when a person is born again, 
he then becomes a member of the church, or kingdom, 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. To become a child of God 
is to become a member of God's family. A man does 
not have to join the family of God after he has been 
born into it. 

My youngest child is about two years of age. Her 
name is '' Mary." Suppose when I go home I should 
invite the neighbors in and tell them that little Mary 
is now about two years old, and we have decided that 
she shall join the family, and I would invite all of 
them to come around and shake hands with Mary, and, 
in so doing, receive her into the family; what would 
you think of me, my friends? I know what you would 
think. I am only six blocks from the asylum as it is ; 
and if I should do that and take your advice, I would 
go the rest of the distance. My child was born into 
my family and did not have to join it. All the children 
of God are born into God's kingdom and do not have to 
join it. Then we get into the kingdom of Christ by the 
birth of water and the Spirit. The main thing with 
sinners, then, is to become the children of God, and God 
wuU see to their getting into the kingdom. But remem- 
ber that it is the inner man that is a member, and not 
the outer man. 

My friend, have you had the experience of a change 
of heart? If so, you have believed and repented; and 
now will you come and confess your faith in Christ and 
obey him in the ordinance of baptism? If so, come to- 
night. 



THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. 



Sermon Number Eight. 



According to promise, the subject at this time will be 
" The Blood of Christ/' In this lesson it will be neces- 
sary for me to take up a great many Old Testament 
characters and show their manner of worship. Then 
1 will come this side of the cross and show how we 
reach the blood of Christ. 

If I shall remark that the blood of Christ is the only 
cleansing fountain, will any take me to task? No, 
they cannot afford to. Some may say that is not what 
we preach, but all I can say of such is, they have been 
misinformed. No man can be or has been saved with- 
out the blood of Christ. I have preached on this sub- 
ject a great many times, and it is always a privilege 
to me to be able to tell the people how we must reach 
the blood of Christ in order to be saved. 

Some people have been informed that we preach wa- 
ter salvation and that water baptism is the cleansing 
fountain. I have been preaching for m.ore than twenty 
years, and I have met a great many of our preachers, 
heard a few of them preach, and have read several 
books of sermons; but I have never heard of one of 
them preaching water salvation. A person may go 
back to the day of Pentecost, where we began, and fol- 
low all along the line until now, and he will not find 



116 Jacob's Ladder. 

any of our brethren preaching water salvation. What 
is water salvation? Well, if you will accept my ver- 
sion of it, it is for a person to be saved by baptism with- 
out faith, repentance, or confession. 

A man who weighed about four hundred pounds at- 
tended a meeting I held in Missouri a few years ago. 
He spoke about being baptized. I knew it would be 
a task, but my duty I must perform if he should de- 
mand baptism. Suppose he had come up at the regular 
invitation, and when I would have asked him if he be- 
lieved in Christ, he would have said, " No; '' would I 
have been doing right to baptize him? Certainly not, 
even if he did weigh four hundred pounds. Well, sup- 
pose that to-night one who weighs only two hundred 
pounds should come up, and when I would ask him if 
he believes in Christ, he would not answer me; then 
suppose I should speak louder, but still no answer; 
then suppose I should write the question on my tablet 
and hold that before his eyesi but still there is not any 
response; would I have a right to baptize that man? 
Certainly not. Suppose one who weighs just one hun- 
dred pounds should come up at the next service, and 
I should go to him and ask him the question, and he 
would do as the other man; suppose I should try in 
every way, even to addressing him with the deaf and 
dumb alphabet, but still no answer comes; would I 
have a right to baptize the man? No, certainly not. 
Well, suppose one should be brought up the next night 
who weighs only eight pounds, and I should go to him 
and ask him the same question I did the others, write 



Jacob's Ladder. 117 

it on my tablet, present it to him with the deaf and 
dumb alphabet, but the only response is to smile ; would 
I have a right to baptize him? Certainly not. My 
reason is this: If a person is not capable of under- 
standing, he is not a sinner and is not a subject of con- 
version. Those who cannot believe and repent are 
not subjects of baptism. 

But we believe that a man must come to the blood 
in order to be saved. A man feels the guilt of sin, 
is wanting salvation; but where can he find it? The 
answer is: Salvation is in the blood. Sinners must 
reach the blood; but the question is, How do they 
reach the blood? 

You have possibly heard of the tradition of the foun- 
tain of youth — a fountain where men could go and 
bathe and be young again. Suppose that such had been 
true; could any man expect to get any benefit from it 
without coming in contact with the fountain? No; 
neither can we expect to get any benefit from the blood 
of Christ unless we come in contact with it. 

There is a way that we come to the blood, but the 
man does not get the benefits of the blood until he gets 
to the place where it is. Our sins are washed away 
by the blood of Christ. Of course that is a figurative 
expression, referring to the blotting out or pardoning 
of sins. 

Now, as I said before, I will see how the Old Tes- 
tament characters reached the benefits of the blood of 
Christ, and then I will come this side and see how we 
reach its benefits. But before I do that I want to 



118 Jacob's Ladder. 

make a statement and then prove it. Open your ears 
and mark the words : There never ivas any actual re- 
mission of sins until after Christ died. Sometimes I 
repeat it ; but you surely have it now, because I said it 
slowly. A lady once heard me make that statement 
and became very much offended. She went home and 
declared that she would never hear me again. Some 
one asked her why, and her reply was : " Brother Bor- 
den said that all who died before Jesus did went 
straight to hell." That unfortunate woman heard only 
a part of the sermon. She must have put her fingers 
in her ears and refused to hear the rest that I said. 

I heard of one man who put his fingers in his ears 
at church to keep from hearing v/hat the preacher had 
to say. Unfortunately for the fellow, he was bald- 
headed. A fly got on his head and in that unconcerned 
way began to walk about. He shook his head, but the 
fly would not get off. He tried to get the fly off with- 
out taking his fingers out of his ears, but he could not 
reach him ; so he took his fi.nger out of his ear to knock 
the fly off, and just as he did it the preacher quoted 
the passage, " He that hath ears to hear, let him hear ; " 
so he took the other finger out and listened to the rest 
of the sermon. 

Many people go to church who do not hear. They 
are often heard to say: " It just went in at one ear and 
out at the other." Not long ago I heard a man say 
that, and another man said : " No wonder it went on 
through, for there was nothing in your head to stop 
it." But excuse me for telling such things. 



Jacob's Ladder. 119 

Now let me make the statement again : There was 
no actual remission of sins before the death of Christ. 
I do not mean that those people were never saved, for 
there are many of them now in heaven ; but they went 
there by the blood of Christ. 

If what I have already said is true, there was no re- 
mission of sins until Jesus died ; for it is by the blood 
of Christ that people are saved. But here is the proof 
that there was not remission until after Jesus died. 
Read Heb. 9: 22: "And almost all things are by the 
law purged with blood ; and without shedding of blood 
is no remission." That is plain. Without the shed- 
ding of blood there is no remission. But some one is 
ready to say : " Yes, that is true ; but before Jesus came 
sins were blotted out by the blood of animals." V/ell, 
no doubt some have that idea; but, my brother, the 
blood of animals cannot take away sins. But I will 
read again from the language of Paul : '' For it is not 
possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take 
away sinsJ' (Heb. 10: 4.) Then it is impossible for 
the blood of animals to take away sins, yet sins can- 
not be remitted without the shedding of blood. If there 
is no remission without blood and the blood of animals 
cannot wash away sins, then it must be by the blood 
of Christ; so my point is clear that there was no re- 
mission of sins until Christ shed his blood. 

But I will read a few more passages in this same 
connection: "And every priest standeth daily minis- 
tering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, 
which can never take away sins." This shows that the 



120 Jacob's Ladder. 

offering of animal sacrifices and the shedding of the 
blood of animals could not and did not blot out sins. 
Then it is by the blood of Christ. But you ask : " How 
were those people saved, then, or how did they come 
in contact with the blood of Christ?" If you will 
just listen, I will show you what the Bible says about 
it. In Heb. 10 there is a description given of the affair : 
" For the law having a shadow of good things to come, 
and not the very image of the things, can never with 
those sacrifices which they offered year by year con- 
tinually make the comers thereunto perfect." Notice, 
these sacrifices could not bring them to perfection ; for 
it was only the blood of animals. "Because that the wor- 
shipers once purged should have had no more conscience 
of sins." If the worshipers had been purged by the 
blood of animals, then they would not have been con- 
scious of their sins any more. " But in those sacri- 
fices there is a remembrance again made of sins every 
year." The very fact that their offerings were to be 
made every year was proof enough that their sins 
were not blotted out by those sacrifices. These sacri- 
fices lasted a lifetime. Every year their sins were re- 
membered, so the necessity of making another offer- 
ing. If sacrifices were offered fifty times, then their 
sins were forgotten just that many times. It shows 
that their sins were not actually blotted out ; but, as we 
often say, for the want of a better expression : " Their 
sins were rolled forward for one year at the time." 
It is true that every year they offered it brought them 
one year nearer to the great cleansing fountain, the 
blood of Christ. 



Jacob's Ladder. 121 

But let me read on : " But in those sacrifices there is 
a remembrance again made of sins every year." If 
the sacrifices could have actually remitted their sins, 
then their sins would not have been remembered. We 
might compare it to life insurance. I insure my life. 
I pay the premium for the first year. If I should die 
during the time, I will reap the benefits of it ; but if I 
should die one day after the time has passed, then I 
will not receive anything from it. So it must be re- 
newed every year as long as I live. 

After Cain and Abel were old enough to offer sac- 
rifice to God, they received a command. Abel takes the 
firstling of the flock and goes to the altar, where the 
offering is made. The shedding of that blood was the 
first picture of the shedding of the blood of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. He offered according to the command 
of God. Cain was a tiller of the soil, but he could have 
gotten an animal and offered it just as well as Cain did; 
but it seemed that he wanted to do his way. So he 
offers the product of the field. He might have offered 
potatoes or turnips, or something of that kind; but 
there was no blood in his offering. Perhaps you have 
heard the expression : " You cannot get blood out of a 
turnip." God had respect to the offering that Abel 
made, for it was according to God's command ; but he 
had no respect for the offering that Cain made, be- 
cause he followed his own way. He might have thought 
he had a reason for it, but God had told him what to do 
and expected him to do it. Cain became very angry 
at his brother — and that, too, without any reason or 



122 Jacob's Ladder. 

cause. Cain knew that his brother had obeyed the 
command of the Lord, and that he had followed his 
own ways, and that God refused to accept his offering. 
Cain did not try to make his wrong right; but, like a 
great many men to-day, he got mad and tried to take 
vengeance on the one who was in the right. That fit 
of religious prejudice, jealousy, etc., caused him to mur- 
der his brother. Perhaps he did not realize what he 
had done until he had committed the crime. It was 
awful, but I have seen men in our time who were al- 
most at the point of fighting. I remember once while 
in a debate my opponent said, " If you will come out 
of the house, I will whip you ; " but I said, " I am not 
coming." [Laughter.] 

Why should a man let his prejudice run so high? 
Is this not a free country? Can we not believe just as 
we want to? Is there any one to molest us? I am 
never angry with a man because he does not believe as 
I do, but I try to show him where he is wrong ; and if 
he does not accept it, it is just with him and the Lord. 
I cannot make him accept it. But God said to Cain : 
" If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and 
if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door." Abel's 
sins had been forgotten for a year, but Cain's sins 
were still at his door, or they were still remembered. 
Why? Because he had not complied with the com- 
mandments of God. The time has come when Abel's 
sins were pardoned, and he will receive the crown of 
life in the beautiful city of God. 

Under the priesthood of Melchisedec, the head of the 



Jacob's Ladder. 123 

family offered sacrifice for himself and for his family. 
The father takes a sheep on his shoulder and marches 
to the altar, where he offers it as a sacrifice. He sheds 
its blood, and again a picture is drawn of the offering 
of the body of Christ and the shedding of his blood. 
At the beginning the Lord made the man the head of 
his family. He is to lead in the ways that are right. 
How about it to-day, men? Are you interested in the 
Christian religion ? How would it have been with you 
if you had lived there then ? Would you have been too 
busy and sent the wife to do that which you should 
have done? If there is a woman on earth who has a 
hard time, it is the one who is trying to carry the reli- 
gious cares of the family to victory without the aid of 
the husband. Men, how can you be so careless about 
this matter? Are you not a creature of God's creation 
and a part of the creation of which God is mindful? 
Do you prefer to be a child of the devil? Some peo- 
ple think they are too busy to be bothered with religion, 
and others think that religion is not for able-bodied 
men, but for women, old worn-out men, and babies. 
Some men think that they must give the best part of 
their lives to Satan and give the Lord the frazzle end 
of it. Is that it? No; but it is for people who are 
sinners. Many men who would be of much use to the 
Lord are giving all to Satan's cause. Brother, do you 
give thanks at your table? I am satisfied there are 
guilty ones here to-night. I know of several brethren 
who never give thanks at their table. I have been to a 
few places where the mother would give thanks just 



124 Jacob's Ladder. 

because the father would not. Brother, are you guilty 
of this neglect of duty? 

I can remember the first time my father gave thanks 
at his table. I was about fourteen or fifteen years of 
age. Dinner was called, and in the usual manner we 
sat down to the table, turned our plates over, and be- 
gan to call for something to eat. " Pass me the bis- 
cuit,'* " Pass the molasses," " I want some gravy," etc., 
began to break the silence. But we turned our eyes 
toward father and mother, for they had not begun to 
eat. Father said : " Children, turn your plates back 
as they were and bow your heads, and we will give 
thanks." We bowed our heads, and he said : " Lord, 
pardon our sins and accept our thanks for these bless- 
ings we have before us, in the name of Christ. Amen." 
It was a solemn moment; but when it was over, I raised 
my head ; and when I looked at my brother and sisters, 
I saw in their expression what was in my heart. In 
spite of the solemnity of the occasion it seemed funny 
to me. Just one smile from one of my sisters brought 
all of us children into a big laugh, and father com- 
manded us to leave the table until we had finished our 
laugh. I am ashamed that I laughed, but I was so con- 
stituted that I could not help it. It was a good lesson. 
It made an impression on my mind, and from that day 
until this I do not feel right to eat without first giving 
thanks. 

I remember one Thanksgiving Day a man said to me : 
'* Brother Borden, I am glad that we can give thanks 
one day in the year for the many good things that God 



Jacob's Ladder. 125 

has given us." I remarked that every day was my 
thanksgiving day. My religion is very poor if I must 
wait until the Governor issues a proclamation before I 
can give thanks. And even then many will kill that 
big turkey, ask the neighbors in for a Thanksgiving 
dinner, and then eat it without giving thanks. Let me 
give thanks every day for the many blessings of life, 
for I owe it to my God. 

But back to the question. The head of the family 
offered sacrifice for himself and his family. This was 
done annually, as I have stated before. In Ex. 24 we 
find where the Lord commanded his people to build an 
altar, and he told them to build it of unhewn stone, and 
also told them not to have steps to go up to the altar. 
He told them to offer thereon their sheep and their 
oxen. Then he said : " In all places where I record my 
name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.'' 
This altar was to be built at a certain place and was 
to be built of unhewn stone. It possibly seems strange 
to some people why the Lord wanted it done that way ; 
but he demanded it, and that was enough. If some of 
the people in the world now had been there where that 
altar was built, they would have thought rather strange 
of those people's being so " out of date as to have built 
an altar of unhewn stone." But they wanted to do 
what the Lord said. It is the thought of some people 
that the church must be like the world in order to at- 
tract the world. If men are not attracted by the simple 
word of God, they are not converted. This offering of 
sacrifice was to be once every year, as I have shown 



126 Jacob's Ladder. 

before. But before they went to this altar they had 
to believe. They also had to repent. The time has 
never been when the Lord would forget, " roll for- 
ward," blot out, or pardon sins without repentance. 
Then they had to repent. They also had to confess. 
What did they confess ? They confessed their sins and 
went to the altar and offered the sacrifice in order to 
the forgiveness of their sins. Now listen : Their sins 
were forgotten for a year at the time, and then re- 
membered again; but their main purpose was to be 
ready so those sins would be pardoned by the atoning 
blood of Christ. Remember, also, he said that where 
his name was recorded, there he would meet them and 
bless them. His name was recorded there on the altar, 
and there was where they came to receive the blessing. 
The people of to-day would possibly have called it 
" rock salvation," or something of that kind ; but they 
were only doing what the Lord had commanded them. 
It would not have been pleasing to the Lord if they had 
built the altar at some other place, for he told them 
where to build it. 

As the Israelites were traveling, they had the taber- 
nacle, and there was in the tabernacle a holy place and 
a most holy place. The priest would offer the animal 
sacrifice and make the animal atonement. That was 
to be done once a year. After the Israelites had lo- 
cated in the land of Canaan the second time, they built 
the temple; and it was like the tabernacle as far as the 
holy place and the most holy place was concerned, and 
the animal sacrifices continued. All of these sacrifices 



Jacob's Ladder. 127 

continued to picture the offering of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

There are many other things that I might mention, 
but I will now come on down the line to the time of 
John the Baptist. John the Baptist came to prepare 
a people for the Lord. He taught the old Jewish church 
members to repent of their backslidings and get ready 
to accept Christ. He told them to be baptized for the 
remission of sins. Yes, they were baptized for the 
remission of sins — not " because of." If they had been 
baptized because of the remission of sins, they would 
have been saved without the blood of Christ. Remem- 
ber the statement at the beginning of this sermon, 
w^here Paul said there was no remission without the 
blood of Christ. But some are ready to ask : " If John 
baptized for the remission of sins, why was Jesus bap- 
tized?" Well, what does the Bible say? Does the 
Bible say he was baptized for the remission of sins? 
Does the Bible say he was baptized because of the re- 
mission of sins? No; he was not baptized for the re- 
mission of sins, neither was he baptized because of the 
remission of sins; but the Bible says he was baptized 
to fulfill all righteousness. If John was not baptizing 
people for the remission of sins, why did he say to 
Jesus : *' I have need to be baptized of thee, and 
comest thou to me? " John knew that he needed it 
more than Jesus did, for Jesus had no sins to be par- 
doned. 

Jesus took up the preparatory work of John and car- 
ried it on. His disciples baptized for the remission of 



128 Jacob's Ladder. 

sins. They were baptized unto repentance, or unto 
reformation — ^not the reformation of their lives, but 
the change of the priesthood. 

Jesus said unto the man who was sick with palsy: 
" Thy sins be forgiven thee.'' The thief on the cross 
said : " Remember me w^hen thou comest into thy king- 
dom." Jesus said : " To-day shalt thou be with me in 
paradise." This brings us down to the death of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

Now, all of these different people I have just men- 
tioned were led to the blood of Christ by the different 
things they did; but these things they did could not 
blot out their sins. They were redeemed by the blood 
of the Lord Jesus Christ when the great atonement was 
made in heaven. Let me read Heb. 10 : 14 : " For by 
one offering he hath perfected forever them that are 
sanctified." Those who were sanctified by the different 
things that were done under the law were perfected by 
the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Abel, those who 
offered sacrifices under the priesthood of Melchisedec, 
those who offered sacrifices upon that altar mentioned 
in Ex. 20, those who offered sacrifices in the temple 
and tabernacle, those who were baptized by John, those 
who were baptized by the disciples of Jesus, those to 
whom Jesus said, " Thy sins be forgiven thee," and 
the thief on the cross, were among the number who 
were perfected by the atonement of Jesus Christ. Now 
before I get through with this I want to introduce an- 
other passage to prove the same proposition : "He is 
the mediator of the new testament, that by means of 



Jacob's Ladder. 129 

death, for the redemption of the transgressions that 
were under the first testament.'' (Heb. 9: 15.) So 
you see that when Jesus shed his blood it was not only 
for the remission of the sins of those who might live in 
future ages, but for the remission of the transgressions 
that were under the first testament. When that atone- 
ment was finished in heaven, then all the sins of those 
who had been sanctified by the different things they 
did were blotted out. There is actual remission of sins. 
It had never been before. It could not have been un- 
der the law. Their sacrifices continued year by year. 
If their sins had been actually blotted out, there would 
have been no more offering for sin. 

We live under the new covenant, this side of the 
atonement of Jesus Christ. Christ was the last sacri- 
fice. Now the question is. How do we get to the blood? 
It is a fact that we must come to the blood before we 
can be saved; but when we do get to it, then our sins 
will be actually blotted out. Do we come to the blood 
in the same old way that they did? Certainly not. Let 
me read : " This is the covenant that I will make with 
them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my 
laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write 
them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember 
no more.'' That sounds good, doesn't it? Think of it! 
Under this new covenant there is actual remission of 
sins. Under the old law the sins were remembered 
every year, but now they are remembered no more. 
But let me read on : " Now where remission of these 
is, there is no more offering for sin." We do not have 

5 



180 Jacob's Ladder. 

to kill a sheep and offer it as a sacrifice and have our 
sins forgotten for just a year at the time, but our sins 
are forgotten forever. The last offering, then, was 
the Lord Jesus Christ. But listen v^hile I read on: 
'' Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into 
the holiest by the blood of Jesus, BY A new and living 
WAY." Not by that old way, but by a new way. Now, 
what is the new way? As a final summing up, he 
says : " Let us draw near with a true heart in full 
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from 
an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure 
WATER.'' I did not bring this up as the only passage 
I expect to use to show how we come to the blood of 
Christ, but that is one. It shows a change of heart 
and then the washing of the body in baptism. 

Now, how do we reach the blood? Well, let us see. 
I shall not devote very much time to this part of the 
sermon, as it will come up in other sermons. It was 
necessary for the Israelites to believe and repent be- 
fore coming to the altar of sacrifice. They also had to 
make a confession. That confession was not a con- 
fession of their righteousness, but a confession of their 
sins. Then, in order that we may reach the blood, we 
must believe; for ''without faith it is impossible to 
please God; for he that cometh to God must believe 
that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that dili- 
gently seek him." Then, Jesus said : '' Except ye re- 
pent, ye shall all likewise perish." We must also con- 
fess our faith in Christ, and then we come to baptism. 
The animal sacrifices could not actually blot out sins, 



Jacob's Ladder. 131 

neither does baptism ; but both were and are essential 
to the blotting out of sins. Yes, we must be baptized 
in order to get to the blood. Peter said to the Pente- 
costans : " Repent, and be baptized every one of you 
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." 
" For the remission of sins " is from the Greek phrase, 
'' eis aphesin hamartion.'' The expression is used in 
Acts 2 : 38 and in Matt. 26 : 28. Jesus said his blood 
was shed " for the remission of sins.'' Now if " eis 
aphesin hamartion " means " because of the remission 
of sins " in Acts 2 : 38, it means the same in Matt. 26 : 
28, and that would make Jesus shed his blood " because 
of the remission of sins," which we know cannot be 
true. The fact is, since the blood of Christ was shed 
there is actual remission of sins, when there was noth- 
ing of that kind before that. Then, when sacrifice was 
offered, their sins were forgotten just a year; but now, 
when we are baptized, our sins are blotted out of the 
mind of God forever. Baptism is one of the essentials 
of salvation, but there is no virtue in water. It is God 
who pardons the sins. I have never known of but one 
man who even intimated that he believed in water sal- 
vation, and he was a brother-in-law to the Baptist 
Church. The Baptist people had baptized about fif- 
teen people in the river, and this scribe said that the 
cattle would all die from drinking that sin-stained wa- 
ter. 

But, notice, there is a place where God has promised 
salvation. Remember what the Lord said when he 
commanded the people to build that altar of unhewn 



132 Jacob's Ladder. 

stone : " In all places where I record my name, there I 
will meet you, and will bless you." Where is his name 
recorded in the new covenant? Is it recorded in faith? 
No. Is it recorded in repentance? No. Is it recorded 
in confession? No. Is it recorded in baptism? No. 
Then where is it recorded? Some people have an idea 
that the name is recorded in baptism, but the Bible does 
not say that. " Even unto them will I give in mine 
house and within my walls a place and a name better 
than of sons and of daughters." (Isa. 56: 5.) The 
name, then, is to be given in the house and within the 
walls. God's house is the church ; so the name is in 
the church of Christ. Then his name is recorded in 
the church. That corresponds with the statement of 
Paul, who said that God was in Christ reconciling the 
world to himself. We are commanded to be baptized 
INTO the name of the Father, into the name of the Son, 
and INTO the name of the Holy Spirit. So when we 
are baptized we are then in the names of Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit. At that time we are also in Christ. 
So we are not in the name until we are baptized. 
Who is entitled to wear the name " Christian " but the 
man who has obeyed from the heart that form of doc- 
trine, and in so doing has become a child of God? 
Since the name is recorded in the church, then we must 
get in the church to meet God and receive the blessings. 
Christ is the head of the church, and he is also the 
foundation of it, for he is the chief corner stone. So 
when we are in Christ, we are building on that sure 
foundation and we have Christ as our leader. Then 



Jacob's Ladder. 133 

is it not good to be a member of the church of 
Christ? 

When the people had broken the legs of the thieves, 
they came to the body of Christ, expecting to break his 
legs, but found that he was already dead; so they 
pierced his side, and he shed his blood. So he shed his 
blood in his death. Now we must figuratively get into 
his death in order to reach his blood. How do we get 
into his death? Paul tells that we are baptized into 
his death. Paul also tells us that we are baptized into 
Christ. 

My friend, do you believe these statements I have 
given you from the word of God? Are you ready to 
accept them and become the children of God? If so, 
will you come to-night? 



THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. 



Sermon Number Nine. 



My text to-night is Rom. 1 : 16 : " I am not ashamed 
of the gospel of Christ : for it is the power of God unto 
salvation to every one that believeth.'' 

I will take the usual manner of text preaching, with 
the exception that I will try to stay with my text. 
Some people take a text and leave it. It is very poor 
preaching when a man will tell some deathbed story 
and then quote his text. I am going to find something 
in the passage that will be worth the consideration of 
all who are interested in the salvation of their souls. 
I am not afraid to stand by what the Book says, for the 
truth has nothing to suffer; and what the Book says 
is true, it matters not who believes it. The man who 
does not stand by the Book is liable to contradict him- 
self ; but when we stand by the truth, there is no dan- 
ger of it. Take the man who has debated with several 
different denominations, and unless he takes the Book 
on all these questions he is sure to contradict himself. 

Paul says : "I am not ashamed of the gospel of 
Christ : for it is the power of God unto salvation." It 
seems from this expression that some at that time were 
ashamed of the gospel or they expected Paul to be 
ashamed of it, but he was glad to let them know that 
he was not ashamed of it. His reason for it is : " For 



136 Jacob's Ladder. 

it is the poiver of God unto salvation.'' The gospel 
was not popular with the majority of the people. The 
people did not flock to it in great droves, for the ma- 
jority were against it; but, like it is to-day, there were 
a few who accepted it gladly. The " Nazarene sect " 
was very unpopular with some; but Paul, notwith- 
standing his high place among the Jews, was not 
ashamed to let them know that he was a Christian. He 
stood very high in the circles of Jewish society before 
he was converted to Christianity, yet he says : " I am 
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ : for it is the power 
of God unto salvation.'' 

" Is the power of God unto salvation.'' What is 
" the power of God unto salvation? " The gospel. The 
statement was made by inspiration, and I believe it. 
So it must be true that the gospel is '' the power of God 
unto salvation." It did not say it is " a power " or 
" one of the powers," but plainly '' the poiver/' This 
is proof to every sensible man and woman that the 
gospel is " the power of God unto salvation," and that 
we need not pray for God to send down converting 
power. In other words, it shows that the gospel is the 
means that God uses in converting men and women to 
Christ. In other words, the Spirit either does its work 
through the gospel or independently of it, and this pas- 
sage shows that it does its work through the gospel. 

Now, if I should get down upon my knees and pray 
the Lord to send down converting power, that would 
leave the impression that I thought God was holding 
back the power that we should have and that now we 



Jacob's Ladder. 137 

are begging him to send it to us. It would also leave 
the impression that there is nothing here that could 
be called " the power of God." We have the gospel, 
and it is " the power of God unto salvation." 

First, John the Baptist puts in his appearance and 
begins his work of preparation. He was called the 
" forerunner " because he came to prepare the way for 
Christ. Before John the Baptist passed away, Jesus 
began his work. His work was also preparatory, but 
was to be beyond that; for he was to increase, while 
John was to decrease. Jesus said in John 7 : "I have 
given them the words that thou gavest me." The word 
of reconciliation was handed down from Christ to the 
apostles, and Paul told Timothy to preach the word. 
He also said : '' The things that thou hast heard of me 
among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faith- 
ful men, who shall be able to teach others also." This 
word that was handed down is " the power of God unto 
salvation " to every one that believeth it — ^to the Jew 
and also to the Greek. But some one is ready to say : 
" I thought men were converted by the Spirit." Well, 
they are; but how does the Spirit operate? Does he 
operate without words? It is not by the word alone 
or by the Spirit alone, but it is by the Spirit through 
the word. 

It is like this : There is power in the word or in the 
gospel. Sometimes you will hear people talk about 
the " mere word " or '' the word only," as if the gospel 
had no power. I have already read where Paul says 
the gospel is " the power of God unto salvation." But 



138 Jacob's Ladder. 

let me read another passage : '' For our gospel came 
not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in 
the Holy Ghost/' (1 Thess. 1 : 5.) If the gospel came 
in power and in the Holy Ghost, has it not the power 
and the Holy Ghost to-day? He says positively that 
the gospel came not in word only. Then why should a 
man say the " mere word '' when he refers to it? Some 
people speak about the gospel as though it was an old 
dried-up sponge that you dip in water and get it full, 
and then it dries out and has to be refilled. 

You show me a man who has the word of God in his 
heart, and I will show you a man who has the Spirit 
in his heart, for the Spirit enters through the word. 
Listen : The word of God has power to convert. Where 
does it get that power? It is the power of the Spirit. 
It is not the Spirit independently of the word, but it is 
the Spirit in the word. It is called " the seed of the 
kingdom." The seed is sown in the hearts of the peo- 
ple. What is the life germ in the seed, the word of 
God? Is it not the Holy Spirit? Certainly. Then the 
Holy Spirit is in the word. Peter says : '' Being born 
again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by 
the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." 
What is it in the word of God that makes it abide for- 
ever? Is it not the Spirit that is in the word? But I 
read again : " But the word of the Lord endureth for- 
ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is 
preached unto you." (1 Pet. 1 : 25.) When this word 
is sown in the heart, the life germ in the word begins 
to grow, and it produces faith, and we are told that 



Jacob's Ladder. 139 

faith is a fruit of the Spirit. It finally causes repent- 
ance. Then a confession is necessary. It then leads 
on to obedience. All of it is a result of the word of 
God that entered into the heart. The work that is be- 
gun in the heart by the Spirit in the word is started in 
this life ; and if it is not shipwrecked, it will continue 
until in the life to come. 

The gospel, then, is '* the power of God unto salva- 
tion," There is power in the gospel, for the Bible says 
so. I remember hearing a man ask the question if a 
man could be saved without a preacher. In a moment 
I had the answer. Paul tells us something about it: 
" For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord 
shall be saved." If I should stop reading there, some 
one might get the wrong idea ; but I will read on : " How 
then shall they call on him in whom they have not be- 
lieved? and how shall they believe in him of whom they 
have not heard? and how shall they hear without a 
preacher? " So there must be hearing, believing, as 
well as calling on the name of the Lord. Do not get 
the idea now that it is by calling on the name of the 
Lord only, for Jesus says : " Not every one that saith 
unto me. Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of 
heaven ; but he that doeth the will of my Father which 
is in heaven." (Matt. 7 : 21.) Before I turn this loose 
let me read John 6 : 44, 45 : *' No man can come to me, 
except the Father which hath sent me draw him : and 
I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the 
prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every 
man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of 



140 Jacob's Ladder. 

the Father, cometh unto me/' Then a man must hear 
and learn of the Father in order to come to Christ. It 
will not hurt any man to pray, but he must obey the 
commands of God as well as pray. When Ananias came 
in and found Paul praying, he did not rebuke him for 
praying; but he told him to " arise, and be baptized, 
and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the 
Lord." 

Notice, Paul says "the gospel is the power of God 
unto salvation to every one that beUeveth.'' How is 
that? Well, the gospel is the power of God to save the 
believer. But some one says : " The believer is already 
saved.'' No, the Bible does not say that. The gospel 
is not the power of God to save the unbeliever, but the 
believer. Some people say that the gospel is to save 
the unbeliever. That shows that the believer is not al- 
ready saved, but must be saved by the gospel. I re- 
member a certain man's telling me that he believed 
that every believer is a saved man. I asked when the 
believer was saved. His reply was that there was no 
difference between the time that a man believes and the 
time he is saved. Then I asked him which came first — 
salvation or faith ; and his answer was that they came 
in the same basket. That would make salvation and 
faith come at the same instant and to the unbeliever. 
How can the gospel be "the power of God unto sal- 
vation " to the believer if the man is saved at the same 
instant he believes? The passage proves conclusively 
that a man is not saved by faith only. But I want to 
introduce another passage. Paul says in the first Co- 



Jacob's Ladder. 141 

rinthian letter : '' It pleased God by the foolishness of 
preaching to save them that believe/' Why save the 
believer if the believer is already saved? This shows 
that a man is not saved by faith only. But I want to 
give you one more passage. In John 1: 12 I read: 
" But as many as received him, to them gave he power 
to become the sons of God, even to them that believe 
on his name." The man who believes on his name is 
the man whom he gives power to become a son of God. 
If the believer is already a son of God, how could God 
give him power to become a son of God? This shows 
conclusively that a person is not a son of God by faith 
only. 

But I must tell you about a version that I heard a 
brother give of that passage one time. He was hav- 
ing an argument with another man on the design of 
baptism, and was pressing him on such passages as: 
" He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.'' 
But the other man came back at him with this : " Sup- 
pose that a man should believe, repent, and confess, 
and that he should start to the water to be baptized, 
and that a limb should fall on him and kill him before 
he could get there; what would become of him?'' I 
see some of you smiling. I guess you have heard just 
such logic. But our brother said : " Did you ever hear 
of a case like that?" "No." "Well, did you ever 
hear of anybody who ever heard of any one hearing 
of any one who ever heard of anybody who believed, 
repented, confessed, and was on his way to the water, 
and got killed before he got there? " " No." "Well, 



142 Jacob's Ladder. 

the reason is/' said he, '' because such things do not 
happen. If a man believes, repents, confesses, and 
starts on his way to the water, he will always get 
there ; for Jesus said that he gave the man who believed 
on him power to become a son of God, and you could 
not kill him with a sledge hammer/' He thought that 
God gave the man some extra power that would pre- 
vent his dying before he got to be baptized. Well, 
what power is that? What does my text say? " The 
gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one 
that believeth/' Then the gospel is that power that is 
given to the believer. My friend, if you should come 
up to-night as a believer and a penitent man and should 
demand baptism, which you would put off until next 
Wednesday, who would be to blame if you should die 
without obeying? You could have gone sooner, but 
did not. Then you have slept on your rights. Then 
who can we blame but ourselves? The Bible says 
plainly, " He that believeth and is baptized shall be 
saved ; " and that is what I must say as a faithful min- 
ister of the gospel. Another reason I do not believe 
that a man is saved by faith alone is because James 
says that a man is saved by works, and not by faith 
alone. Some people have tried to prove that the book 
of James is spurious, and their only reason for it is 
because James contradicts their theory. It is strange 
that people are not satisfied with the word of truth. 

Next, what is the gospel, and when did it begin to 
be preached? How was it preached, when was it 
preached, and is it preached now? There are various 



Jacob's Ladder. 143 

ideas about the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
Some people say it began in the days of Abraham, some 
say it began in the days of the prophets, some say it 
began in the beginning of the ministry of John the 
Baptist, and others say it began on the day of Pente- 
cost. These seem to be very different views, and the 
way the people in general look at them they are; but 
another way you look at it they are all true. If we say 
the gospel was preached in its fullness in the days of 
Abraham, we do not tell the truth; but if we just say 
there was a sense in which the gospel was preached in 
the days of Abraham, we tell the truth. There is a 
sense in which the gospel began to be preached in the 
days of the prophets, and there is a sense in which 
the gospel was preached in the beginning of the min- 
istry of John the Baptist. There is also a sense in 
which the gospel began to be preached on the day of 
Pentecost. Well, where does the Bible say that the 
gospel was preached in the days of Abraham? Let 
Paul tell us: ''And the scripture, foreseeing that God 
would justify the heathen through faith, preached be- 
fore the gospel unto Abraham, saying. In thee shall 
all nations be blessed." (Gal. 3: 8.) Then a long 
time before the law went forth from Mount Sinai the 
gospel was preached unto Abraham. Who preached 
it? God. To whom? Abraham. What was the gos- 
pel that he preached to him? '* In thee shall all na- 
tions be blessed." We find that promise in Gen. 12. 
God first promised Abraham the land of Canaan, and 
then he gave him the promise concerning Christ. The 



144 Jacob's Ladder. 

gospel was included in the words : * In thee shall all 
nations be blessed/' It was preached in promise only. 
Then we find the gospel in promise preached in the 
days of Abraham. We do not know that Abraham 
preached it to any one, but we know that God preached 
it to him. God also made this same promise to Jacob, 
the grandson of Abraham, when he dreamed of the 
great ladder that sat on the earth and reached to heaven. 
That also shows the gospel preached in promise. Why 
do I say that? Well, when we preach Christ to-day, 
we call it " preaching the gospel.'' Then that was 
Christ preached in promise; so it was the gospel 
preached in promise. 

Next is the gospel beginning in the days of the 
prophets. What do we preach when we preach the 
gospel? We preach Christ, do we not? Yes. Did the 
prophets preach Christ? Read Isa. 9:6: "For unto 
us a child is born, unto us a son is given : and the gov- 
ernment shall be upon his shoulder." This is a pro- 
phetic statement concerning the gospel, or concerning 
Christ. When a man says that the gospel was preached 
in the days of the prophets, he tells the truth; but it 
would be better for him to tell how it was preached, 
and then no one will be misled. This is just one of the 
prophecies relative to the coming of Christ. So we will 
call this " the gospel of prophecy." 

But was the gospel preached in the beginning of the 
ministry of John the Baptist? Yes, there is a sense in 
which it began there. I will read from Mark 1 : '* The 
beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of 



Jacob's Ladder. 145 

God." Now the question is : How could it begin here 
if it had begun back in the days of Abraham? Well, 
it did not begin the same way as it did at the other 
times. It began in prophecy and in promise before; 
but how did it begin here? Read the next verse: "As 
it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messen- 
ger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way be- 
fore thee." Then the gospel began here, in the begin- 
ning of the ministry of John the Baptist, in prepara- 
tion; for he came to prepare the way for Christ. So 
we have it beginning in promise, prophecy, and prep- 
aration before the death of Christ; but how did it be- 
gin on the day of Pentecost, after the death of Christ? 
But did it begin on the day of Pentecost? Yes. Where 
is the proof? Well, you remember when Peter was 
preaching to the house of Cornelius, he referred to the 
pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost 
and called it '' the beginning." " Was poured out on 
us at the beginning." 

Now the next question is: Since the gospel began 
in prophecy, promise, and preparation before the death 
of Christ, how did it begin on the day of Pentecost? 
But would it not be a very good idea for me to tell 
what the gospel is before I proceed further? Then it 
will help us to understand how the gospel began on 
the day of Pentecost. You might think that I should 
have told what the gospel is some time ago. I could 
have done so, but it will do now. So I will see if I can 
find a passage that will tell me what it is. 1 Cor. 15 : 
1-4 : " Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gos- 



146 Jacob's Ladder. 

pel which I preached unto you, which also ye have re- 
ceived, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are 
saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, 
unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto 
you first of all that which I also received, how that 
Christ was going to die, how that he was going to be 
buried, and how that he was going to be raised a — '' 
What is that you said, Brother Cook? Didn't read it 
right? Well, that is true; I did not read the last part 
of it right, but I will read it right : " I delivered unto 
you first of all that which I also received, how that 
Christ died [not, " was going to die "] for our sins ac- 
cording to the scriptures ; and that he was buried [not, 
" going to be buried "] , and that he rose again the 
third day according to the scriptures,'' etc. 

Then the gospel that Paul preached was the death, 
burial, and resurrection, together with the ascension 
and coronation of the Lord Jesus Christ. I do not say 
that this is all of the gospel, but this is a part of it. 
This thing had been promised to Abraham, it had been 
prophesied by the prophets, John the Baptist came pre- 
paring the way for it; but on the day of Pentecost it 
began as a reality, or a fact, which it had not been be- 
fore* 

Notice, Paul says : "By which also ye are saved, if 
ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless 
ye have believed in vain.'' Then it was by preaching 
these things that the people were led to Christ. These 
things are the facts of the gospel. Other things will 
be brought up later. Now, is it not a truth, undeniable. 



Jacob's Ladder. 147 

that the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ was 
not a fact until after it had happened? Then the gos- 
pel began on the day of Pentecost as a fact. 

I remember one time while I was in San Marcos, 
Texas, I met a man on the streets who seemed very 
glad to see me. He was meeting different ones and 
forming new acquaintances. He was a preacher who 
had in former days been a circuit rider in that part of 
the country, and now he had been sent back to his old 
place again. After shaking hands with me, the follow- 
ing conversation took place : 

'' Young man, how are you? '' 

"I am well.'' 

" What is your name, my brother? " 

" My name is * Borden.' " 

" My brother, I am certainly glad to meet you. Are 
you attending school here? " 

" No, I cannot say that I am doing that. I study 
every day." 

" You mean you study at home. Well, that is nice, 
my brother; but what do you do for a livelihood? " 

" Well, I preach some, is about the only answer I 
can give you." 

" Well, let me shake hands with you again. That 
is so commendable in a man as young as you are. 
Brother Borden, what kind of a preacher are you? " 

" I am a preacher of the gospel." 

" 0, and you are a Campbellite ! Well, I am in a 
hurry. Good-by." 

'' Hold on, now; don't get mad and run just because 



148 Jacob's Ladder. 

I said I was a gospel preacher, but stay and talk a 
while/' 

But he would not stay. However, he did not go very 
far until he met some of his own kind and began talk- 
ing to them. I walked up where I could hear the con- 
versation. He began at once talking about narrow- 
minded folks — ^those who think nobody is right but 
their little bunch, etc. I knew he aimed for me to take 
it, so I walked up to him and asked him this question : 
" Please, sir, may I ask you a question? " 

" Yes, you may ; but I haven't very much time to 
spend." 

" Well, did Jesus preach the gospel in fact before he 
died?" 

** Jesus preached his own everlasting gospel." 

" I did not ask you that. I asked if Jesus preached 
the gospel in fact." 

" I tell you, Jesus preached his own everlasting gos- 
pel; and you need not ask me any more about it, for 
I am not going to answer any more of your questions." 

Well, he was too stubborn to admit the truth. Now, 
what do you think of religious people who will be that 
stubborn about the word of God? It may be that I 
cannot see my own faults, but I believe I will admit 
the truth if my whole position must go down. The 
truth will stand ; and if any man will show me where 
I am wrong, I will gladly accept that which he gives 
me instead. 

I remember, Mr. Pigue asked me a question when I 
debated with him at Dell, Ark., about three years ago, 



Jacob's Ladder. 149 

that he did not expect me to answer, but I did. I did 
not answer it to his satisfaction, however. He asked 
me if I ever got religion. He demanded the answer, 
and I gave it. I told him that I got what he called 
*' religion," but that I had another name for it. He 
had nothing to say in response. I will say more on 
that point in another sermon. 

Another man asked me if I had a change of heart 
before baptism. I was surprised that he should ask 
me such a question; but I answered him, just the same. 
He knew that we believed in a change of heart, and 
I will prove that to you in another sermon in this meet- 
ing. 

But the question : Did Jesus preach the gospel in fact 
before he died? No, because it was not a fact, and 
he could not have preached it as such. He told his 
disciples that it would take place, but he did not say 
that it had been done. 

Did the apostles and disciples even preach that 
Christ would die? No, they did not; for they did not 
believe it themselves. Death was a horrible picture 
to them. They could look back through the past and 
remember the millions who had died, and their spirits 
had gone to Hades, but none of them had returned to 
tell the story of that country; so they did not believe 
that it could be possible for Jesus to die and be raised 
from the dead the third day. They meant well, but 
their faith was weak. 

Jesus told his disciples that he must go unto Jeru- 
salem, suffer many things of the chief priests and 



150 Jacob's Ladder. 

scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. But 
Peter said : " Be it far from thee. Lord : for this shall 
not be unto thee/' But Jesus said unto Peter : " Get 
thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: 
for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but 
those that be of men/' How could Peter have even 
preached the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ 
before Jesus died, when he did not even believe that 
it would be? These apostles were as faithful as their 
faith would allow them to be, but this was a part of it 
that was hard for them to understand. Jesus finally 
came to his trial and crucifixion, and then afterwards 
his body was buried. It was a sad time for them. 
Their great friend was taken from them, and they 
feared that he would never return. We can hear one 
of the apostles say, " I go a-fishing; " and another, " I 
go with thee." They go back to their former avocation. 
But early on the first day of the week we see the women 
coming to the sepulcher to anoint his body ; but when 
they looked in, they did not see his body. They did 
not know what had become of the body ; but, thinking 
some one had taken it away, Mary said to some one 
whom she saw standing near her : '' Where did you 
put him? " It was Jesus to whom she talked, but she 
did not know him until he said, " Mary.'' Then she 
recognized him and started to take hold of him, but 
Jesus said : " Touch me not ; for I am not yet ascended 
to my Father.'- The women went and told the disci- 
ples that they had seen Jesus ; but they took it as idle 
tales, and believed it not. Then there was doubting 



Jacob's Law)br. 151 

Thomas, who did not believe, and Jesus told him to put 
his fingers into the nail prints and thrust his hand into 
his side and be convinced. But he said : " Lord, I be- 
lieve." Just before Jesus left the apostles he upbraided 
them for their hardness of heart and unbelief, because 
they did not believe those who had seen him after he 
had risen from the dead. Now, how could any man 
say that they preached the death, burial, and resurrec- 
tion of Christ before Jesus died, when they did not even 
believe it? The apostles were not in a shape to begin 
to preach the gospel in fact until the day of Pentecost. 

Now, with all this before your minds, can you say 
that the gospel was preached as a fact before Jesus 
died? Certainly not. The apostles did not even preach 
that he would die. But after he had risen from the 
dead, he gave them the great commission and left them 
to carry out the great work. He had told them, how- 
ever, that they were to wait until they were endued 
with power from on high. They waited until the day 
of Pentecost, when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. 
When the Spirit came, he revealed the fact of his coro- 
nation. 

Peter's address was so different that day from all 
the preaching he had ever done. He spoke of the one 
who had traveled over the country on foot and had 
done so many good works, healing the sick, cleansing 
the lepers, unstopping the ears of the deaf, opening the 
eyes of the blind, speaking words of comfort to the 
broken-hearted, and many other things too numerous 
to mention. He pictured in his eloquent way the death, 



152 Jacob's Ladder. 

burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
then how he ascended into heaven, and that he was 
crowned " King of kings, and Lord of lords." 

There were more than three thousand people who 
heard the message on that day, and they began to ask 
what to do, and they were told to repent and be bap- 
tized for the remission of sins. That was a grand day, 
that was a grand sermon, and that was the beginning 
of the greatest institution that this world has ever 
known. Then, again, we find Peter at the house of 
Cornelius telling him what to do, and finally he is num- 
bered wuth the redeemed. 

Now there is something else to this subject that I 
must make mention of before I finish, as I might not 
have time in some other sermon. The death, burial, 
and resurrection, as well as his ascension and corona- 
tion, are facts of the gospel. The gospel is not all of 
facts, as I will now show. I call your attention to 2 
Thess. 1 : 7, 8 : " The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from 
heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking 
vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey 
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." Think of it! 
There must be something about the gospel that can be 
obeyed. What is it? Commands. Then the gospel is 
composed of commands. He will take vengeance on 
those who obey not the gospel. Are we commanded to 
believe? Yes. Will he take vengeance on us if we do 
not believe? Does the gospel command us to repent? 
Yes. Will he take vengeance on us if we fail to repent? 
Yes. Does the gospel command us to be baptized? 



Jacob's Ladder. 153 

Yes. Will he take vengeance on us if we fail to be bap- 
tized? Think on these things. 

Then the gospel is composed of commands, it is 
composed of promises, it is composed of threatenings, 
it is composed of facts. These facts are to be believed, 
the commands are to be obeyed, the blessings are to be 
enjoyed, and the threatenings are to be feared. 

In conclusion, is there one who would like to turn 
away from the kingdom of Satan and take up his 
abode with the children of God? There are, no doubt, 
those here to-night who have their minds made up that 
they will go some time, but you think you have an ex- 
cuse this time. My friend, do not wait until it is too 
late and then have it ringing in your ear at the judg- 
ment: "Too late, too late, too late! " I have known 
many to wait and it would prove to be too late. Will 
you come to-night? 



" BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH.'' 



Sermon Number Ten. 



My text this morning is Eph. 2.8:" For by grace 
are ye saved through faith ; and that not of yourselves : 
it is the gift of God : not of works, lest any man should 
boast.'' 

This text is a favorite among many of our religious 
neighbors. They seem to get a great deal of satisfac- 
tion out of it; but, to save my life, I fail to see in it 
what they seem to think they get out of it. It is used 
by our opponents in debate on the design of baptism 
with an air of victory, as though it said that baptism 
is not essential to salvation. I cannot see that in it, 
and I fail to see how they can see it. The fact is, there 
is no such thought contained in it. 

I like to preach on the passage, as it expresses such 
a great truth in so few words. I do not know of a pas- 
sage in all the Bible that so clearly expresses the com- 
plete plan of salvation in so few words as does this 
passage. 

I will begin with the latter part of the passage first. 
You know the Bible says : " The first shall be last, and 
the last shall be first." The last will be first this time. 
'' Not of works, lest any man should boast." I want 
to take my time and notice these passages carefully. 
What does it mean by the expression, '' not of works? " 



156 Jacob's Ladder. 

1 have met hundreds of people who think that it means 
** not of baptism." That expression seems to prove to 
a great many people that baptism is not essential to 
salvation. They seem to think that baptism is the 
kind of work mentioned here. Is baptism really a 
work? It is a fact that we do our own believing, we 
do our own repenting, we do our own confessing; but 
we do not baptize ourselves. We are passive in the act 
of baptism. All we do in the matter is to submit to 
the ordinance in order to be forgiven. In all the con- 
ditions of salvation, baptism is the only condition in 
which we are passive. Now, if we are saved by what 
we do not do and are not saved by what we do do, then 
baptism is the only thing that will save us; and that 
will be water salvation, won't it? 

In almost every sermon that I have preached since 
this meeting began I have had something to say about 
the old and new covenants. The old covenant lasted 
until Jesus died. The new covenant began on the day 
of Pentecost. When Paul was writing these letters, 
he was trying to get the Jews to understand that the 
old law had been abolished and that it should not be 
practiced under the new testament. 

Notice, Paul said : " Not of works, lest any man 
should boast." Did he mean to say that we are saved 
by grace, and not by baptism? Certainly not. In fact, 
did he refer to any command under the new covenant 
that could be called a " work? " If it refers to every 
command in the new covenant that can be called a 
" work," then it refers to faith, for faith is a work. 



Jacob's Ladder. 157 

Let me see : " They said unto him, What shall we do, 
that we might work the works of God? '' Many of our 
religious neighbors would have said : " Baptism is the 
only work in the plan." But let us see what Jesus said 
to them: '* Jesus answered and said unto them. This 
is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he 
hath sent." Then it is the work of God that we believe. 
Then, without question, faith is a work. " Not of 
works," then, either refers to the law, or faith is not 
essential to salvation. We know it does not refer to 
the things of the new covenant, for Paul said that sal- 
vation is through faith. It could not be through faith 
and without faith at the same time. 

Paul wanted them to understand that they could not 
be justified by the law and the gospel at the same time. 
If it is by grace, or the new covenant, it is all by grace. 
If it is all by works, or by the law, then it would have 
to all be by the law. He also told the Jews that if they 
were justified by the law they were fallen from grace. 
That still proves that it could not have been by both — 
works and grace. 

Keep it in your mind, then, that the " works " there 
had reference to the works of the law, and not to the 
works or commandments in the new covenant. Also 
keep it in mind that we are passive in the act of bap- 
tism, for we do not baptize ourselves. Faith is an act 
of the mind, repentance is what we do; but baptism 
we submit to, and another performs the act. 

Notice the expression, " not of works," and espe- 
cially the expression, " lest any 7nan sho2dd boast.'* 



158 Jacob's Ladder. 

Can a man be baptized and then boast of it? No. But 
the work he condemns is a kind of work of which there 
is boasting. Keep that in mind, for I will need it later. 
While you think about these things now, I will find a 
passage to read. Here it is : " Therefore by the deeds 
of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: 
for by the law is the knowledge of sin.'' (Rom. 3 : 20.) 
Paul does not use the word "works'' here; but he 
says we are not justified by the law, and that is the 
same thing. We can get tangled up on that just as 
easily as on the other, for it does not say what law it is. 
There are two kinds of laws under consideration — ^the 
law of works and the law of faith; but we will learn 
more of this later. 

Now let me read verse 24 : " Being justified freely 
by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ 
Jesus." This shows that it is by grace, and not by the 
law. It is almost the same thing that is expressed in 
the other place — ^just a little different way of express- 
ing the same thing. 

Now we read verse 27: '* Where is boasting then? 
It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by 
the law of faith." What did the passage say : " Not 
of works, lest any man should boast." Listen : " Lest 
any man should boasV I remember now. " Where is 
boasting then? " says Paul ; and then he tells us it is ex- 
cluded by the law of faith. It is excluded by the law of 
faith, and not by the law of works. What is the law of 
works? It is the law of Moses. If boasting is ex- 
cluded in the new covenant, then why should we say 



Jacob's Ladder. 159 

that " not of works, lest any man should boast," re- 
fers to some command in the new covenant? 

Now let me read the next verse : " Therefore we con- 
elude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds 
of the law." This passage is the same as the others. 
It shows that salvation is by grace through faith, and 
not by the deeds of the law. We are not justified by 
the law of works, but by the law of faith. 

Now, I will notice what Paul says about Abraham. 
Read Rom. 4: 2: " For if Abraham were justified by 
works, he hath whereof to glory ; but not before God." 
This does not mean that Abraham did not obey God, 
for he did. It has the same meaning as other passages 
on this question. Abraham lived before the law went 
forth from Mount Sinai, and for that reason lived be- 
fore the law of works. The law of works lasted until 
the death of Christ, and we live since that time. The 
reason why Abraham was not justified by the law of 
works was because he lived before the law, and the 
reason why we are not justified by the law of works 
is because we live since the law of works. So my 
point is clearly made out that the works of the law is 
what Paul had reference to, for there is no boasting in 
the law of Christ. 

There is another passage I want to read before I 
leave this part of this subject : " Knowing that a man is 
not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith 
of Jesus Christ." (Gal. 2: 16.) This is positive, but 
it is the same as : " By grace are ye saved through 
faith ; and that not of yourselves : it is the gift of God." 



160 Jacob's Ladder. 

It conveys the idea: A man is saved by the law of 
Christ or the faith of Christ, and not by the works of 
the law. 

But let me read on : '* Even we have believed in Je- 
sus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of 
Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the 
works of the law shall no flesh be justified." This also 
shows conclusively that Paul had reference to the 
works under the old covenant, and not to the com- 
mands of the new covenant. 

Now, if it can be proved that baptism came by the 
law of Moses, there may be a shadow of a show for the 
expression, " not of works," to refer to baptism ; but 
as it is, it cannot. And, then, if it was in the law of 
Moses, it would have to be proved that it is a work on 
the part of the man that is baptized. 

There are several different kinds of works mentioned 
in the Bible. Some are essential and others are not. 
The works of the law are not essential, but the works 
of faith are essential. Now, is baptism a work of the 
law or a work of faith? Paul says in my text: " Not 
of works, lest any man should boast." In Tit. 3: 5 
Paul says : " Not by works of righteousness which we 
have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by 
the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy 
Ghost." Another passage showing works are con- 
demned. Notice, too, in all these places it says 
" works " — in the plural number. So if it refers to 
the works in the new covenant, it must have reference 
to more than jvst one thing. Think of it! These, be- 



Jacob's Ladder. 161 

ing condemned, I will place on the left side of this line, 
which side I have marked " Condemned/' When Pe- 
ter was preaching at the house of Cornelius, he said : 
" Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of per- 
sons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and 
worketh righteousness, is accepted with him/' This 
righteousness is accepted; so I place it on the right 
side of this line, which side I have marked "Accepted." 
So we have on one side works of righteousness ac- 
cepted, and on the other works that are condemned. 
Now, have the apostles contradicted themselves, or did 
they all refer to the same kind of works? The works 
that are condemned refer to the works of the law, and 
the works that are accepted are the works of faith. 
Now, to strengthen what I have said, I will call your at- 
tention to the tenth chapter of Paul's letter to the 
brethren at Rome : '' Brethren, my heart's desire and 
prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, 
but not according to knowledge. For they being ig- 
norant of God's righteousness, and going about to es- 
tablish their own righteousness, have not submitted 
themselves unto the righteousness of God." The Jews, 
in trying to continue the old Jewish ceremonies after 
the old law had been taken out of the way, had formed 
a righteousness of their own. The righteousness of 
their own was the Jewish law, and the righteousness 
of God was the commandments in the new testament. 
Then the righteousness that God condemned was the 
righteousness of the law that had been taken out of 

6 



162 Jacob's Ladder. 

the way. So it still carries out the idea that salvation 
is by grace through faith without the deeds of the law 
of Moses. 

Next we will notice the expression: "And that not 
of yourselves : it is the gift of God.'' Now, what is it 
that is " the gift of God? '' What is it that is " not of 
yourselves?" Listen: There are three things men- 
tioned in the passage — ^faith, grace, and salvation. 
Then the antecedent of " it '' is either faith, grace, or 
salvation. There is a sense in which faith is a gift of 
God. God gives us the gospel that produces the faith. 
Paul says : " Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by 
the word of God.-" Faith is not a direct gift. No one 
will deny that grace is a gift of God; but is faith or 
grace the antecedent of " it? " The passage is telling 
how people are saved, and that is really the subject; so 
it is the salvation that is *' the gift of God." Again, 
whatever it is that is " the gift of God " is the same 
thing that is not of works, and that is salvation. It is 
salvation, then, that is " the gift of God," that is not 
of ourselves, and that is not by works. 

But some one is ready to say that if salvation is a 
gift of God, why is it conditional? What we do does 
not buy the salvation. God gives us the salvation. We 
are saved by grace. Who is saved by grace? The 
obedient one. " Though he were a Son, yet learned 
he obedience by the things which he suffered ; and be- 
ing made perfect, he became the author of eternal sal- 
vation unto all them that obey him." (Heb. 5: 8, 9.) 
We learn from this that salvation is given to those 



Jacob's Ladder. 168 

who obey him. It is a gift, but it is conditional. Then 
salvation is a gift of God, but we must come to Christ 
in order to get it. Jesus said : " Come unto me, all ye 
that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you 
rest." Yes, he gives the rest; but we must first come 
to him. 

Now we come to the first expression, ** by grace are 
ye saved through faith.'' He did not say, *' by grace 
alone ; " neither did he say, " by faith alone ; " but he 
said, " by grace are ye saved through faith.'' Grace 
is one part of it and faith is another. '' By grace are 
ye saved through faith " tells the whole story in a short 
way. 

Now, in order that we may understand it better, I 
will draw a line on the board, and on the left side of 
the line I will put the letter " G " to represent the side 
of grace, and on the other side I will put the letter " F " 
to represent the side of faith. It is by grace on the 
left side, and it is through faith on the right side. 
Everything that is of grace we will put under the let- 
ter " G," and everything that is of faith we will put 
under the letter " F." 

Well, what is grace? Grace is favor. Yes, that is 
good. In other words, it is the grace of God that he 
does for us that which we cannot do for ourselves. 
" For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath 
appeared to all men, teaching us," etc. Yes, it is by 
grace that the gospel is preached unto us. It does not 
mean that the gospel is all the grace of God. We might 
say that the gospel reveals all the grace of God, as far 
as the salvation of our souls is concerned. 



164 Jacob's Ladder. 

It is by grace that Jesus came to die that we might 
be saved ; so we put that under the letter " G " as one 
thing coming under the head of grace. It is by grace 
that God has given us the plan of salvation ; so we put 
it under the heading of grace. It is by the grace of 
God that we have the church of Christ; so we put it 
on that side. We are saved by grace; so we put it on 
that side, because it is by grace that we are saved. 
There are other things that I could mention that would 
come under the heading of grace, but this is enough for 
us to get the idea. All that God does for us that we 
cannot do for ourselves, then, is grace, and should ap- 
pear under this heading. 

But I have given only one side of this question. On 
the other side of this line is faith. 

Let me give a few directions. Get a piece of paper 
and draw a line in the center, beginning near the top. 
On the left side write the letter " G,'' and on the right 
side write the letter " F.'' Put all the things that God 
does for us under the letter '' G,'' and then you are 
ready to start the other side. The letter " F '' stands 
at the top of the line. Wait, wait, wait! I will have 
to change that. The letter '' F " must stand at the 
bottom, for it is at the bottom. 

Well, now for the proof that faith should stand at 
the bottom. Paul says : " Now faith is the substance 
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.'' 
The word " substance " is from two words, '* sub " and 
" sto." '' Sub '' means " under," and " sto " means " to 
stand.'' So the word means " to stand under." But 



Jacob's Ladder. 165 

a better meaning is from the Greek word " upostanis," 
which means " that which sinks to the bottom " — the 
foundation, the bottom, the groundwork. Then faith 
stands at the bottom; it is the foundation. So we put 
faith at the bottom, and the rest is built upon it. 

Why do we repent? It is faith in the goodness of 
God that produces the repentance. Then faith is first, 
and it continues. A man does not quit believing when 
he repents. Then he confesses his faith in Christ. He 
is then baptized. His faith still continues. He is then 
told to add to his " faith virtue ; and to virtue knowl- 
edge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temper- 
ance patience ; and to patience godliness ; and to godli- 
ness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness 
charity." The man's faith continues, but these things 
are fruits of faith. 

Then on the left side of this line we have all that 
comes under grace, and on the right side we have all 
that comes under faith. In other words, what God 
does is by grace, and what we do for him is through 
faith. Then the expression, " by grace are ye saved 
through faith,'' covers the whole system of salvation. 

We could say, " By what God does for man and what 
man does in obedience to God we are saved," and it 
would express the same thought as the expression, " by 
grace are ye saved through faith." 



THE CHANGE OF HEART. 



Sermon Number Eleven. 



As much as I have debated and preached on this sub- 
ject and convinced my friends in other ways that we 
believe in a change of heart, it seems that many peo- 
ple are very much surprised when it is announced that 
I will preach on a change of heart. 

I have never preached on the subject at any place 
but what some one said : *' I didn't know that they 
believed it." Some are surprised that we will even 
preach on it; and then, after the sermon is finished, 
they will say : " Well, he's the only one that preaches 
it, for the others do not believe it." It seems that 
most of the people do not want to believe that we be- 
lieve in a change of heart at all. They have heard it 
the other way, and that is the way they want to be- 
lieve it. I have never met one of my brethren yet who 
does not believe in a change of heart. They may not 
express it in the same words that I do, but they be- 
lieve it, just the same. Sometimes I am accused of 
being a little Methodistic because I get happy and 
shout once in a while. I believe in shouting, but I do 
not believe in *' tilting the cup to make it run over," I 
have always contended that if people are happy, let 
them shout, for that is one way that people praise 
the Lord ; but sometimes people will try to force a shout 



168 Jacob's Ladder. 

in order to affect some one else who is a little cold. I 
do not believe in that. I have seen a few make an effort 
to shout and make a failure, because they were trying 
to deceive people into believing that they were happy. 

I will give you to-night what the Bible says about 
the change of heart. I have noticed that a majority of 
people, in talking on this subject, get the change of 
heart and heartfelt religion in their minds as one and 
the same thing. So this will force me to say a few 
words on heartfelt religion before I take up the change 
of heart. There is a difference in the change of heart 
and heartfelt religion. One is to be experienced, and 
the other is to be done. Understand me, I believe in 
both heartfelt religion and the change of heart. I will 
spend a few minutes on heartfelt religion, and then I 
will take up the change of heart. 

The expression, " heartfelt religion," is not in the 
Bible in so many words, but the truth in the expression 
is taught there. The word '' religion '' is a very broad 
term. In other words, there are a great many more 
religious people than there are Christians. There are 
many religions in the world that do not accept Christ. 
The Jews have a kind of religion, but they do not ac- 
cept Christ. Masonry, to some extent, is religious ; but 
a man can be a Mason whether he accepts Christ or not, 
but he must be a believer in God. Our nation is called 
" a Christian nation," from the fact that the religion 
of our nation is the Christian religion. Other nations 
are not called *' Christian nations," because they do 
not accept Christ. Christianity is only where Christ is 



Jacob's Ladder. 169 

taught. There is one thing I am sorry to have to say, 
and that is that there are so many various kinds of 
religious sects who claim to accept Christ, and in a 
way they do accept him. "Is Christ divided?" Is 
Christ the author of all these different doctrines ? Cer- 
tainly not. Then, why not all be one? The word 
" religion " is not used very many times in the Bible, 
but I would believe it if it had been used only one time. 
There are several different kinds of religion mentioned 
in the Bible. In Gal. 1 : 13 Paul speaks of '' the Jews' 
religion.'' In Acts 26: 5 Paul says: "After the most 
straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee." Here 
are two kinds of religion mentioned ; and if we could 
" get religion," we would not want to get either one 
of these, would we? There is another kind mentioned 
in James 1 : 26 : " This man's religion is vain." Now, 
if we could " get religion," would we want to get this 
kind? Certainly not. There is one more kind that I 
want to call your attention to. It is found in James 
1 : 27 : " Pure religion and undefiled before God and the 
Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in 
their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from 
the world." Now, if we could " get religion," this pure 
religion would be the kind we would want to get. But 
now the question is. Do we get it? No, we cannot; 
for it is what we do, and not what we get. 

I am not condemning the expression, " getting re- 
ligion," just to throw off on people who use the ex- 
pression; but I am condemning it like I do all other 
unscriptural expressions. It is as much a habit as it is 



170 Jacob's Ladder. 

anything else, and it should not be indulged in, for it 
conveys the wrong idea. I am glad to note, however, 
that many people are quitting it. There are some peo- 
ple, however, who are willing to smile at ignorance, 
and still keep people in the dark and fail to accept in- 
formation when it is given to them. Those who use 
the expression, if they would admit the truth, would 
admit that they did not '* get religion.'' They thought 
they got salvation, and they called it "getting reli- 
gion." Sometimes they call it " coming through." In 
another part of the sermon I will discuss this more 
fully. I want to tell what some people get and call 
" religion." They have had an experience ; that is true ; 
but where they have made the mistake is calling it by 
the wrong name. Now, Brother Cook, if I should for- 
get that, you will please call my attention to it. We, 
no doubt, use expressions that are not right, and we 
are quitting them as fast as we learn better. Let us 
be consistent. Let us not condemn others for using 
the unscriptural expression, " getting religion," and 
persist in using expressions just as bad. How many 
of our members here to-night have said " join the 
church" during the day? It is just as bad to say 
" join the church " as it is to say " get religion," because 
religion is what we do, and we are born into the king- 
dom, or church, of Christ. What we do that we call 
" joining the church " is right," but we call it by the 
wrong name when we refer to it as " joining the 
church." People have an experience that they call 
" getting religion," but that is not what it is. They 



Jacob's Ladder. 171 

actually had the experience, but it is improperly called 
*' getting religion/' But, as I said, I will take this up 
later. 

Mr. Ben M. Bogard, with whom I have held ten dis- 
cussions, said in a debate at Balch, Ark., which is now 
in print, that religion is not what we get. He says 
that " getting religion '' is not the right expression ; 
that it should be " heartfelt salvation.'' Of course, ac- 
cording to their understanding of the matter, it is sal- 
vation that they get. Of course he is wrong about get- 
ting salvation at that time, but we will discuss that 
later. The next debate we had after this debate was 
printed, Mr. Bogard turned to me and said : " Borden, 
you need to get religion." I turned to his speech in 
which he said I could not do that and read it to him. 
He was appealing to the supposed ignorance of the peo- 
ple there. 

But, as James says, pure religion is " to visit the fa- 
therless and widows in their affliction, and to keep him- 
self unspotted from the world." I remember one time, 
while I was holding a meeting at a place in Texas, a 
certain brother who was a widower attended every 
service; but he would come very much out of his way 
to help a certain widow to get to church. One night 
when I preached on religion, I made this point of vis- 
iting the widows very strong, and this brother gave a 
big " nod." It was a little amusing to the other mem- 
bers, for it was the first time he had " nodded " at any- 
thing I had said during the meeting. 

But pure religion is not only in the giving, but it is 



172 Jacob's Ladder. 

giving from the heart. The brother who does not give 
from the heart does not practice heartfelt religion. 
I^et us give willingly and from the heart, and we will 
enjoy it as well as to enjoy seeing others enjoy it. If 
we give in that grudging way, " kissing it good-by,'' 
and wondering if we will ever see it any more, we do 
not give in the right way. Brother, we must give in 
the right way. I know some brethren who are too 
stingy to be real good Christians. When you find peo- 
ple like that, you find people who seldom ever know 
anything about what heartfelt religion is. 

I would like to say more on this subject of heartfelt 
religion, but I will not have time, as my subject to- 
night is the change of heart. 

We have been accused of not believing in a change 
of heart. I do not know how people ever got the idea, 
but many people think that, and they seem to be honest 
in it. Some preachers are just dishonest enough to 
tell such things on us when they know that they are not 
true. I have had some men to tell me that the only 
objection they had to us is that we do not believe in 
a change of heart. Ask them where they got their 
information, and they v/ill say : "Aunt Nancy told me 
that Aunt Jane told her that Bob Johnson told her that 
Squire Jones told him that he had heard that John 
Smith had heard that his grandmother had heard that 
Bill Johnson preached that a man did not have a change 
of heart." You know how fast a thing of that kind can 
travel. There is an old saying that a lie can get all 
over the country before truth call get its boots on. 



Jacob's Ladder. 173 

Listen: If there is anything that we do believe in, it 
is a change of heart, and also that a man's heart must 
be changed before baptism. Not only do we believe 
in a change of heart, but we say that the heart must be 
completely changed. Not only that, but we contend 
that every person who has had a change of heart can. 
explain it so the other man can understand it. It is 
true that a change of heart is a thing that one man can- 
not experience for another, but each man knows it for 
himself if he has actually had a change. It is not some 
incomprehensible change that is better felt than told. 
It does not take a miracle to bring it about, either. 

Now, when I get through with the sermon to-night, 
every man and woman here can tell to what extent 
their hearts have been changed and can know what it 
will take to finish the work. Be sure to remember this. 

Now, before we can understand anything about the 
change of heart, it might be well for me to ask what 
heart it is that is changed in conversion. According 
to our way of thinking, we speak of the lobe of flesh 
in the left breast as the heart. Now, this is not the 
heart that is changed in conversion. Why? Well, be- 
cause it is not subject to conversion. " The natural 
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit, for they are 
foolishness unto him." This refers to the mind of 
the flesh ; but how can matter be converted in the sense 
of changing the heart? If this physical heart is the 
one that is changed in conversion, v/hy cannot animals 
be converted as well as men, for they have the same 
kind of a heart? The physical heart in the animal 



174 Jacob's Ladder. 

performs the same function that the physical heart 
in the man does. The purpose is the same. Some peo- 
ple will pat themselves on the physical heart and say : 
" Fve got the witness right in here." Then you ask 
them if it is the inner man or the outer man that is 
converted, and they will tell you that it is the inner 
man. In that they contradict their own statements. 
The man who believes that man is all matter cannot 
believe that it is the inner man that is converted, for 
he does not believe that there is an inner man. What 
is there about man that makes God mindful of him if 
there is no more of man than just the body? Then the 
change of heart is for the inner man, and not for the 
outward man. The physical heart is a part of the out- 
ward man ; therefore it is not the heart that is changed 
in conversion. There will be two thoughts interwoven 
with all of my arguments on this subject. One is to 
show that the heart that is to be changed is the inner 
man, and not the physical heart, and the other is to 
show how the heart of the inward man is changed. 

In Dan. 4 we read of the change of Nebuchadnez- 
zar's heart : " Let his heart be changed from man's, 
and let a beast's heart be given unto him ; and let seven 
times pass over him." When his heart was changed, 
he went out with the beast of the field, and ate grass, 
as an animal until seven times passed over him. Would 
any one think that the heart that was changed was the 
physical heart? Certainly not; for after the time had 
passed and his heart returned, it is said : " I Nebuchad- 
nezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine un- 



Jacob's Ladder. 175 

derstanding returned unto me.'' So in taking his heart 
away, his understanding was taken away. Then the 
heart in this place had reference to the understanding, 
or reason. 

We are told that Absalom stole the hearts of the 
men of Israel. How did he do it? I will let the Bible 
tell its own story : ''And it was so, that when any man 
came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his 
hand, and took him, and kissed him. And on this man- 
ner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for 
judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Is- 
rael.'' Now, who would be so foolish as to think that 
Absalom stole the physical heart? Then, beyond ques- 
tion, there is som.e other part of man that is called the 
" heart " that is not this physical heart. Any man 
knows, if he will just think a little, that the hearts that 
Absalom stole were the affections of the children of 
Israel. 

Perhaps you have heard the remark made concern- 
ing some young lady who was disappointed by some 
young man: "-He stole her heart." It does not take 
a well-trained lawyer to understand that the affections 
are what is referred to. Who would be so ignorant 
as to think that it had reference to the physical heart? 

We are told that the Lord opened Lydia's heart, 
that she attended unto the things spoken by the 
Lord. Do we understand that the physical heart 
was opened? Certainly not, but it was her un- 
derstanding. Many people to-day have their hearts 
opened in that sense. How? By the preaching 



176 Jacob's Ladder. 

of the gospel of Christ. What would have become of 
her had Paul opened her physical heart? She would 
have died, and Paul would have been punished for mur- 
der. It is said that on the day of Pentecost the people 
were pierced in the heart. It was the truth that was 
presented in the sermon that Peter preached that 
pierced them to the heart. They felt that condemning 
of conscience when they learned that they had cruci- 
fied the Son of God, and they were very anxious to 
know what to do. 

It will be my purpose to-night to show what the heart 
does, to show what heart it is, and to show how it is 
changed. I will ask you now to notice carefully as we 
advance with the sermon. 

In Rom. 10 : 10 Paul says : ** With the heart man 
believeth.'' In Matt. 13: 15 we find that man under- 
stands with the heart : " For this people's heart is 
waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and 
their eyes they have closed ; lest at any time they should 
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should 
understand with their heart, and should be converted, 
and I should heal them." In Mark 2 : 8 Jesus said : 
"Why reason ye these things in your hearts?'' In 
Gen. 6: 5 we read that the very imagination of the 
heart is " evil continually." 

In these passages we learn that a man believes, rea- 
sons, understands, and imagines with the heart. Now, 
would any one be so ignorant as to say that the phys- 
ical heart understands, reasons, and believes? Cer- 
tainly not. Then the part of man that reasons is un- 



Jacob's Ladder. 177 

doubtedly the inner man. I know we can all see that 
if we will just try. 

Now, how is the part of the heart that reasons, im- 
agines, understands, and believes changed ? Now, from 
a psychological standpoint, what part of the heart be- 
lieves, understands, reasons, and imagines? Is it not 
the intellect? Certainly; and who will be so ignorant 
as to deny that? Now, is there any intelligence in the 
physical heart? No. Now, how is that part of the 
heart to be changed? There is only one way to change 
it, and that is by testimony ; and I am sure I can fur- 
nish the testimony. But perhaps you have already had 
a change of heart in this respect. Well, possibly so; 
I will see. 

Now, suppose I believe, understand, reason, and im- 
agine that a little infant is a child of the devil. What 
do I need? I need a change of heart. Well, my rea- 
son, understanding, and belief are wrong. How is that 
part of my heart changed? By testimony. So Brother 
Green will bring up the statement of Jesus and show 
me that Jesus said : " P'or of such is the kingdom of 
heaven.'* Then my understanding, my reason, my im- 
agination, and my faith have been changed. It was 
changed by testimony. 

Well, what is the main thing that we must believe, 
understand, reason, and imagine? Is it not that Jesus 
Christ is the Son of God? Yes. Well, do you believe, 
understand, reason, and imagine that Jesus Christ is 
the Son of God? Now, if I should ask all of those who 
believe in Jesus Christ to stand up, possibly the most of 



178 Jacob's Ladder. 

my congregation would stand up. Now, if we actually 
do believe, understand, reason, and imagine that Jesus 
Christ is the Son of God, then we do not need a change 
in that respect. If we did not believe it, then we would 
need a change of heart ; so I will conclude, for the argu- 
ment's sake, that all of my congregation has had a par- 
tial change of heart and some of you have had a com- 
plete change of heart. 

There is such a thing as getting a person changed 
to a theory. For instance, there are differences with 
reference to church polity and things like that. Some 
of our brethren have introduced innovations into the 
church and have caused a great deal of trouble. They 
differ from us in the way of doing missionary work. 
We believe in the Bible theory, for it is the safest plan ; 
but to convert one of them to the Bible plan is not like 
the converting of a man from sin to righteousness. 
They are already converted in that sense, but they need 
to be converted to the Lord's manner of doing things. 

Now, I want every man and woman here to-night to 
decide the case for yourself and ask yourself the ques- 
tion : " Has my heart been changed in the sense that 
has already been mentioned? In other words, do I 
believe, understand, reason, and imagine that Jesus 
Christ is the Son of God?" 

Now, is that all the changing that is necessary? No. 
If it is, then all of my congregation has a complete 
change of heart. But listen : When I come to the next 
part of it, there will not be so many of my congrega- 
tion claiming a change of heart. 



Jacob's Ladder. 179 

In Matt. 22 : 37 we read : *' Thou shalt love the Lord 
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and 
with all thy mind." Then a man loves with the heart. 
This is different from the part that believes, under- 
stands, reasons, and imagines. A man may do these | 
things and not love at all; but if his faith is strong 
enough, it will result in love. What produces love? ! 
Lovely things that appeal to the affections. Is the seat 
of affections in the physical heart? Certainly not. 

One time, while I was holding a meeting at a certain i 

place in Texas, I made a proposition for all who loved : 

with the physical heart to stand up. No one stood up ; ] 

but after the sermon was over, a young man came up 
the aisle, winding his legs around each other, took me 
by the hand, and said : " Mr. Borden, I came to tell 
you that I love my gal with the heart that's in here | 

[patting himself on the left breast] ." I said to him : | 

" That's all right, young man ; go on and love her all i 

you want to." The unfortunate fellow had had an op- 
eration of spirit, but it was the kind that comes in a 
jug. The inner heart was so addled by the influence of \ 

the liquor that he thought if he loved his " gal " at all 
it must be with the physical heart. He is the only man 
I have ever met who made such a claim, and his mind 
was not working good was the reason for it. 

But, how is that part of the heart changed? Can it 
be changed by testimony, like the other part was 
changed? No. There is only one way to change that 
part of the heart, and that is by reaching the affections 
with loveliness. Now, we suppose all of you to be be- 



180 Jacob's Ladder. 

lievers in Christ to some extent, and that your hearts 
have been changed thus far. How many will be able 
to stand under this part is for you to say for yourselves. 
Now, the question is: Do you love God, Christ, the 
Holy Spirit, the church, the people of God, the things 
of heaven, etc.; or is your affection centered on the 
things of this world? Where do you stand? Do you 
love the world, or do you love God? If you love the 
things of the world, then you need that part of the 
heart changed; but if you love God, then you do not 
need a change in that respect, as it has already come to 
you. If your affections are set on the things of the 
world, then you need a change of heart in that respect. 
But can that part of the heart be changed by testimony 
like the other? No. How could a young man reach 
the affections of some young lady by making arguments 
to her? He could not. He does not try it. Either 
from knowledge or intuition he knows better. But 
when he goes to see his friend, he is very guarded in 
his remarks, does things to please her, tells her how 
nicely it is to love and be loved, etc. 0, I have almost 
forgotten how, as it has been some time since I talked 
that way! But you know what I mean. He, in so 
doing, reaches her affections and causes her to love 
him. He could never have won her by making argu- 
ments, for that is not the way to reach the affections. 
There is where a great many of us fail in our meetings. 
We present arguments all the time and seldom picture 
the love of God for us. It is so nice to draw the picture 
of the love God has manifested for us in that he sent 



Jacob's Ladder, 181 

his Son to die for us. We must present the love of 
God, for that is what appeals to the affections and 
causes men and women to love God. I am satisfied I 
can hear some of you saying : '* My heart is already 
changed, when it comes to that part of it." Now, what 
else is there to be done in the way of finishing the 
change? 

The next part, now, is where the greatest test comes. 
We are to repent, and that repentance is to be from 
the heart. What is repentance? Well, most of the 
people say that it is turning from sin to righteousness. 
That is it in short, but I want to give it plainer than 
that. Then, how is repentance brought about? First, 
we begin preaching the word of God to the man, show- 
ing him the plan of salvation and how God so loved 
the world that he gave his Son to die that we might 
be saved. That causes him to begin to look at his life 
as it is. He looks at that av/f ul condition he is in, the 
number of sins he has committed, etc., and it produces 
what the Bible calls " godly sorrow.'' There is a bur- 
den that bears heavily on him, and that burden is the 
consciousness of his many sins and his condemnation 
before God. This condemning of the conscience is what 
led him to godly sorrow. The burden gets heavier, that 
sorrow increases, the memory of his many sins haunts 
him, his realization of the condemnation that rests 
upon him is still resting on his mind. Now the ques- 
tion comes : " Shall I give up the sins now, or shall I 
remain with them ? '' He looks around him at his many 
friends, to whom he must say " good-by " if he makes 



182 Jacob's Ladder. 

the change. He then remembers his sins. The bur- 
den increases. Then comes the instantaneous change 
which is wrought by the Spirit, but not without me- 
dium, at which time he bids farewell to the many sins 
in which he has been participating so long. Right at 
the instant the change comes there is a relief that comes 
to the man, an ease from the weight of the love of sin 
that has been bearing so heavily on him; and this is 
what so many people call " getting religion." The 
change, the feeling that follows it, and the burden leav- 
ing the mind so many call '' getting religion." I have 
had that experience, and every man who has been con- 
verted has had that experience; but we did not call it 
'' getting religion." It is the greatest test in life. The 
greatest fight is to be made when we get to the point 
where we must decide between the things of the world 
and Christ and his great cause. With some the burden 
is very heavy and the change is very great; but when 
the change is brought about, there is a relief of con- 
science that a man experiences, but we do not call it 
" getting religion." 

Now, as I have said before, that is the change that 
must precede baptism. When a man has had this ex- 
perience, there is always a reformation of his life to 
follow. But is the man saved just because he has had 
this change of heart? No. Of course, when a man 
undergoes this experience, he quits his meanness. He 
is a moral man. He is a good man. He is just as good 
then as he is after baptism, as far as that is concerned. 
He is the same man, but he is a changed man. Every 



Jacob's Ladder. 188 

change that takes place in the man himself must take 
place before baptism ; otherwise he would not be fit to 
be baptized. But this change is not religion ; neither 
is it remission of sins. 

But now I can hear some one asking : " If all this 
takes place before baptism, what is baptism for?'' 
That shows that people do not understand. If a sin- 
ner makes up his mind that he will never sin any more, 
has he not made a good resolution? But does that 
atone for his past sins? No. Suppose a man should 
quit his meanness — his gambling, drinking, swearing, 
and other kinds of meanness — and the rest of his days 
should live a perfect life ; how would it be with him at 
the judgment bar of God? Well, say that a book of his 
life should stand before him. From the time he quit his 
meanness until he died the book would be clear; but 
go back before he made the great change, and you 
will find the pages marked with all kinds of sins. 
He looks and is sorry. He changed, but he did not 
make amends for his old sins — the sins that he com- 
mitted before he made the change. To illustrate : Sup- 
pose I go to some store in this city and tell the mer- 
chant that I have decided to pay cash from this on for 
everything I get. I will buy some of this and some of 
that and pay cash. I continue for a year, paying cash 
as I go. But at the end of the year the old debt is still 
unpaid. Would it be right for me to leave the old debt 
unpaid? It is right to pay cash, but it is also right to 
pay the old back debt. After the change has taken 
place and we are now living a better life, let us remem- 



184 Jacob's Ladder. 

ber that we must settle the old back debt. How can 
we get the old debt paid, or our sins forgiven? Peter 
says : " Repent, and be baptized ... in the name 
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.'' Where does 
remission of sins take place? It takes place in heaven, 
and not in us. We believe, the change is brought about 
in us by repentance, and then we are baptized for the 
remission of sins. " Remit " means to " remove " or 
" blot out.'' Our sins are written somewhere, and that 
" somewhere " is the mind of God, for he remembers 
our sins until they are remitted. So the change that 
takes place in us is one thing, and the remission of our 
sins that takes place in the mind of God is another 
thing. Now, I know that you can understand why we 
believe that baptism is essential to salvation. There is 
nothing that we experience in ourselves by being bap- 
tized, except the satisfaction that we have obeyed the 
command of God; but after baptism, God remits our 
sins. The change that takes place in us must take place 
before baptism; but God remits our sins, which does 
not take place in us, but in God's mind after baptism. 

But there is another part to this sermon. In 1 John 
3 : 20 we read : " If our heart condemn us, God is 
greater than our heart, and knoweth all things." This 
says our heart condemns us. We generally say " our 
conscience pinches us." It is the same thing, for it is 
the heart that condemns. Who would place conscience 
in the physical heart? When does conscience condemn? 
It is when we go contrary to the way we have been 
taught is right. 



Jacob's Ladder, 185 

When I was a schoolboy, we discussed in the liter- 
ary society the question : " Is conscience a safe moral 
guide?'' I was generally on the negative side, as I 
preferred it. There seemed to be good arguments on 
both sides. I would make the argument that conscience 
is a creature of education. That was the best idea I 
had of it then. The fact is, I did not know exactly 
where to place conscience. I found out later, however, 
that there was a better way of getting at it. The idea 
that CONSCIENCE IS NOT A GUIDE AT ALL came vividly 
before my mind, and I wondered why I had not seen 
it before. What is called " conscience " is the part that 
condemns when we go contrary to what we think is 
right. " The steam impels the boat, but the pilot 
guides.'' So the intellect selects the right and the con- 
science impels that way. If the man should go the 
other way, then the conscience condemns. Then the 
intellect selects the right, and the intellect may not be 
properly taught. One man can go to a picture show 
with a clear conscience, while another man's conscience 
will condemn him. Why? Well, one man believes it 
is sin, while the other does not. If conscience is a 
guide and always right, then it is the same for all peo- 
ple. 

A young lady once told me that she knew it was right 
to dance, because her conscience did not condemn her 
when she danced. A member of some denomination 
told me that he was on the right road, because his con- 
science did not condemn him. Both these people made 
the same argument, but one was opposed to dances and 



186 Jacob's Ladder. 

the other in favor of them. The young lady had been 
taught until she believed that it was right to dance. As 
long as the intellect says it is right to dance, then the 
conscience will not condemn a person for dancing. So 
we cannot depend on the conscience, except where the 
intellect is properly taught. 

The mother who takes her innocent babe and casts it 
into the arms of a burning idol to appease the wrath 
of God does it without a remorse of conscience, for she 
has been taught that it is the thing to do. It would 
cause a great condemnation of the conscience if we 
should do such, for we have been taught better. Take 
the mother in heathenism who will take her babe and 
cast it in the river to be devoured by the crocodile in 
order to appease the wrath of her God. She does it 
without the conscience condemning, for she has been 
taught that God is angry at her and that she must make 
this sacrifice to appease his wrath. 

If I have been taught that I must go to the mourn- 
er's bench and there experience a change before I am 
saved, my conscience will not be satisfied until I think 
I have had the experience. If I have been taught that 
I will be saved as soon as I believe, then as soon as I 
believe, my conscience will be satisfied. If I have been 
taught that I must be baptized in order to the remission 
of sins, then my conscience will not be answered until I 
have been baptized. I know that my conscience was 
not answered until I had been baptized, for I had been 
taught that God would pardon my sins after I had been 
baptized. I could ask all of these brethren the same 



Jacob's Ladder. 187 

question, and their answers would be just the same as 
mine. I believe I will try it. 

Brother Cook, when was your conscience answered — 
before baptism or after? 

Answer: '* My conscience was answered after bap- 
tism." 

Brother Bell, when was your conscience answered ? 

Answer: "After baptism, of course.'' 

Brother Bowers, when was your conscience an- 
swered — before or after baptism? 

Answer: "Answered after baptism.'' 

Brother Smith, when was your conscience an- 
swered — before or after baptism? 

Answer : " I was not satisfied until after I was bap- 
tized/' 

That is good; that is just the same as the others, for 
the conscience condemns until we obey. 

But here is another man I want to ask this question. 
Brother Peter, when was your conscience answered — 
before baptism or after? 

Answer : " Baptism doth also now save us, not the 
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of 
a good conscience toward God/' 

Well, Peter is just like the rest of us. His expe- 
rience is just like ours in that particular. You re- 
member I told you a few evenings ago that you could 
begin with Pentecost and come on down the line, and 
you would find us preaching the change of heart all the 
time. Then remember that baptism is not to change 
the heart, but for the remission of sins and the answer 



188 Jacob's Ladder. 

of a good conscience toward God. The change of heart 
is one thing, and the remission of sins is another. The 
change of heart takes place in man, and the remission 
of man's sins takes place in heaven in the mind of God. 
Now, if you have had the experience of a change of 
heart and you would like to become a member of the 
church of Christ, come and make the confession of your 
faith in Christ and be baptized for the remission of 
sins, and the Lord will receive you into his church. 



JACOB'S LADDER. 



Sermon Number Twelve. 



The narrative of my lesson is found in Gen. 28. It 
is a dream of a ladder. Jacob was the dreamer, and 
God was the inspirer. This is one way God had of 
foretelling what would be in the future. As Jacob was 
traveling from Beersheba to Haran, he came to this 
spot as the evening drew on, and selected it on which 
to spend the night. He did not have a nice feather 
pillow, as we have when we are sleeping comfortably 
at home, but he took the stones of that place and made 
a pillow. It was hard, but he used it. While sleeping, 
he dreamed a most beautiful dream. It was of a lad- 
der long enough to reach to heaven. He saw the gate 
of heaven open and the angels of God ascending and 
descending on that ladder. It was a grand sight to be- 
hold. He saw the Lord standing above the ladder and 
heard him say : *' I am the Lord God of Abraham thy 
father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou 
liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy 
seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt 
spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the 
north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed 
shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'' 

When Jacob aroused from his slumber, he said: 
"How dreadful is this place! this is none other but 



190 Jacob's Ladder. 

the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." It 
was a wonderful dream to Jacob. 

The first time I thought of preaching on this subject 
my father suggested that I had better study it a while 
before I made the attempt. I did so, and now I will 
give you the result of my study. I had it in my mind 
to read the text and then preach a sermon on the plan 
of salvation, but I learned later that the rounds in the 
ladder are not what I at first thought. 

Jacob was a grandson of Abraham. The promise 
that God made to Jacob, " In thee and in thy seed shall 
all the families of the earth be blessed,'' is the same 
promise that God made to Abraham before that. Ja- 
cob knew the dream was not that of something that 
existed then, but possibly understood that it pictured 
some future event, but did not understand the nature 
of it. As we look back upon his vision of the evening, 
we can see a beautiful picture, for we can see it ful- 
filled and appreciate its beauty. It was to him a dream 
and to us a reality. 

From the beginning there is a line that God has se- 
lected, and it is interesting to travel that line and see 
how carefully it has been guarded. That is the one 
through which Christ came. The line begins with 
Adam and comes on down through Seth, Methuselah, 
Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and then to Da- 
vid. In David the line is divided. One line was 
through Solomon and the other through Nathan, both 
sons of David. The line through Solomon on to Joseph 
and Christ is given by Matthew, and the line through 



Jacob's Ladder. 191 

Nathan to Mary and Christ is given by Luke. '* In 
thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth 
be blessed '' was a promise of Christ that was remem- 
bered until Christ came. I have skipped a great many 
generations, for I have not the time to trace it gener- 
ation by generation, for that is a big sermon within 
itself. 

Remember, when he arose from his slumber, he said, 
" Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not; '' 
and he was afraid, and said : " How dreadful is this 
place ! '' Though he said, " This is none other but the 
house of God, and this is the gate of heaven," he did 
not realize that he was dreaming that which would be 
later and that it would be through the promise : " In 
thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be 
blessed." He saw heaven open, the ladder, and the an- 
gels of God ascending and descending upon it. Noth- 
ing of that kind had ever been pictured to him before. 
If he had dreamed of offering animal sacrifices or of 
entering the land of Canaan, it would not have been 
so shocking as it was; but since it opened up heaven 
to him, it was very strange and new to him. All this 
proves that he had never seen anything of that kind 
before. The fact is, the way to heaven had not been 
known to the people at that age of the world. The high- 
est ambition of the Jew was an earthly possession, and 
they looked forward day after day for better material 
things. God's promise was fulfilled in giving them the 
land of Canaan. 

Now, suppose I should dream to-night of being at the 



192 Jacob's Ladder. 

Louisiana Purchase Exposition ; do you suppose I would 
be very much surprised ? No, because I have had that 
experience. I saw the wonderful workings of electric- 
ity, which were, indeed, a grand sight to behold. But 
if I had lived before the wonderful workings of elec- 
tricity had been discovered and had dreamed of the 
wonderful things that was my privilege to see, would 
it not have been a grand dream, and would I not have 
told it before breakfast? 

All this proves to me that the ladder did not exist 
at that time. Then it must have been later in the his- 
tory of God's dealings with the human family. Begin- 
ning with Jacob's vision, and by careful investigation 
we can see the day begin to dawn and see the curtain 
of time raised and look upon that grand picture of the 
ladder that reaches from earth to heaven. Remem- 
ber, when we find the fulfillment of the dream, we must 
find heaven open, the ladder reaching from earth to 
heaven, and the angels of God ascending and descend- 
ing upon it. When I find these things, then I have 
found the ladder, and not until then. If I should think 
I had found the ladder and yet I have not found heaven 
open, I have not found the ladder. So I must find all 
three at the same time when I find the fulfillment of the 
dream. 

But, as I have said before, the ladder did not exist 
in the time of Jacob except in the dream. I hope you 
will not be disappointed when I tell you that the ladder 
did not exist in the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Ja- 
cob. The fact is, it did not exist even in the time of 



Jacob's Ladder. 193 

John the Baptist. I am not at all afraid to say that 
the ladder did not exist in its complete fulfillment until 
after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The 
first passage I wish to introduce is in John 1 : 51 : 
" Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see 
heaven open.'' I only gave a part of the verse, but I 
will give the rest of it at the proper time. Notice, he 
said : " Hereafter ye shall see heaven open." That 
shows that heaven had not been opened in that sense 
up to that time, but it would take place later. Here 
it is A.D. 30, and heaven had not been opened. The 
time had not yet come for the fulfillment of that great 
event in the world. Then it must have taken place some 
time after the ministry of John the Baptist and the 
beginning of the work of Jesus Christ. Now, I will 
ask you to read with me Heb. 9:8:" The Holy Ghost 
this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was 
not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle 
was yet standing." The old tabernacle stood through 
generation after generation until Christ died on the 
cross. In that tabernacle was a holy place and a most 
holy place, and they were divided by the veil. But 
when Christ died, the veil was rent in twain from top 
to bottom, and thus forever destroyed their worship 
of offering animal sacrifice in the temple. Now, he 
said that the way into the holiest of all, which is heaven, 
was not made known as long as the old tabernacle 
stood. We have just showed that it stood until Jesus 
died on the cross. Then the ladder did not exist in 
reality until after the death of Christ. Now, the lad- 

7 



194 Jacob's Ladder. 

der pictured a way to heaven, and that way was not 
made manifest until after Jesus died. 

Now, there is another thing about this ladder. It 
does not say how many rounds this ladder had. Some 
people say it had three rounds, and others say it had 
five; but we are not now after opinions of men. What 
does the Bible say about it? It is not a human insti- 
tution, and the ladder is not found in any human insti- 
tution. There is only one Jacob's ladder, and it forms 
a connection between heaven and earth. 

There was a need for the ladder, or the Lord would 
not have gone to all the trouble that he did to bring it 
about. Think of it! It forms a connecting link be- 
tween heaven and earth, and it links humanity and di- 
vinity together. Now, whatever the link is, it joins 
humanity and divinity and is Jacob's ladder. 

Let us draw the contrast for a few minutes, and we 
can see the need for the connecting link that we call 
"Jacob's ladder." God is in heaven, man is on earth. 
Now, why is not God here on earth? The answer is 
easy: He is now in glory, and man is in weakness. 
Look at the great Deity and then look at man in his 
weakness. See the contrast? God is immortal, in- 
corruptible, glorious, the great Spirit who has always 
existed ; but no human eye can view the brightness of 
his countenance and still live. Now, when we look at 
man, we find mortality, corruption, weakness ; man of 
few days and full of trouble. 

The flower buds and blooms to-day, 
But to-morrow it fades away. 



Jacob's Ladder, 195 

So man is born to die. He realizes his weakness, for 
he knows that his body came from the dust. Every 
act of life shows man's weakness. This great contrast 
creates the demand for the connecting link that will 
bind humanity and divinity. 

Some people do not realize how great this contrast 
is. I have heard preachers pray for God to come right 
down and be in their midst. Now, they do not realize 
what they are praying for, or they would not do that. 
God is not going to answer the prayer, for he does not 
want to cut us off so suddenly, and that, too, without 
preparation. God could not come and be one in our 
midst and us still live. No man can look into God's 
countenance and live. 

You perhaps remember the time when Moses went 
up into the mount to receive the tables of stone on 
which were written the Ten Commandments. When 
he had been there some time and started down, he saw 
that the children had made a golden calf, etc. ; and he 
became vexed and threw the stones down, and they 
were broken. Then he had to make another trip. 
While he was there that time, his own countenance 
seemed to take up some of the glory of the countenance 
of the Lord. He talked to God face to face, yet he did 
not see the Lord's face. When he was ready to depart, 
he asked the Lord that he might see his countenance. 
The Lord answered : " It shall come to pass, while my 
glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the 
rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by : 
and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my 



196 Jacob's Ladder. 

back parts : but my face shall not be seen." " There 
shall no man see me, and live." This shows that God's 
countenance is too bright for mortal eyes to look upon. 
Moses saw his back parts, but did not see his face. 

When Saul was on his way to Damascus to bind all 
those who were calling on the name of the Lord, a 
great light shone about him. It was above the bright- 
ness of the noonday sun. It was so bright that it caused 
him to go blind. It was just a little foretaste of the 
glory of God. If he had seen the glory of God in its 
fullness, he would have died; but it was just enough 
to cause him to go blind. I heard one preacher say that 
the light shone round about him like it did Paul when 
he was converted. I thought to myself : '* What igno- 
rance ! " This man could see as good as any one, but it 
caused Paul to go blind. A difference, you see ! 

Now, as we view this great contrast, we can see the 
need of a ladder to reach from earth to heaven, from 
humanity to divinity, from weakness to power, from 
mortal weakness to immortal greatness and power. 
Now, it must be a wonderful ladder that began on the 
earth and yet reached to heaven. Another thing: 
whatever it is, it pictures the way to heaven. 

We can take a piece of wood and a piece of iron to 
the blacksmith to weld together; but he will laugh at 
us, for that is not in man's power. The wood and iron 
are not the same kind of material. Then humanity 
and divinity will not link together without a miracle. 
Think what a wonderful miracle it would be! Now, 
what is that connecting link? Well, we will first see 



Jacob's Ladder. 197 

if we can find one. It looks impossible, but we will see 
what can be done. We first view heaven, with all of 
its inmates, and we find God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, 
the angels, all of whom are immortal, glorious, incor- 
ruptible, etc. Then we look to the earth, and we find 
weakness, corruption, mortality, etc. So there is noth- 
ing on earth or in heaven that will answer for the lad- 
der unless a great miracle is performed. The only 
thing, then, to do was to form a ladder. 

Look back to the beginning, when the morning stars 
sung together and the sons of God shouted for joy, and 
we hear that there is one who is referred to as the 
'' Word.'' The '' Word " was Christ. He was in glory 
there. " Without him was not anything made that was 
made." God sent him here to be that ladder. Did he 
come as he was? No; he had to be prepared for the 
place he was to fill. He '' was made flesh, and dwelt 
among us." If he had not been made flesh, he could 
not have been with us here on this earth. Paul says : 
''He took not on him the nature of angels; but 
he took on him the seed of Abraham." He took 
upon himself the form of man — ^that is, the outer man, 
for he was already like the inner man in one sense. In 
him, then, was that same immortal, incorruptible, glo- 
rious creature who was in the beginning with God, and 
in him was man in all of his weakness, corruption, etc. 
In him was man and in him was God. In him was hu- 
manity and in him was divinity. He was tempted in 
all parts like we are, yet he had wonderful power, 
which came from God and was God. So humanity and 



198 Jacob's Ladder. 

divinity were in the same individual. Why was it so? 
Because God made it so. It could not have been other- 
wise than by miracle. His humanity could reach to 
man and his divinity could reach to God. He could 
talk to man and man could see his face, and then he 
could be transformed and look into God's glorious coun- 
tenance. So his divinity reaches to God and his human- 
ity reaches to man. Then Jesus Christ must be that 
ladder, for he is the ladder that reaches from earth to 
heaven. 

Now for more proof along that line. In John 14 : 6 
Jesus says : '' / am the way." If he is the way, is he 
not the ladder? The ladder is the way, for it points the 
way to the open door in heaven. So when we find the 
way, we have found the ladder. Now, if there was not 
other passages to use on the subject, this would be 
enough for me ; but I am going to give some more proof : 
" I am the way, the truth, and the life : no man cometh 
unto the Father, but my me.'' Think of it! No man 
can get to God except through or by Christ. So he 
must be the ladder. Paul says : '' For all the promises 
of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory 
of God by us." Again, Paul says: '' Therefore if any 
man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are 
passed away; behold, all things are become new." 
Then we are new creatures in Christ ; all the promises 
of God are in Christ; and now, to put the crowning 
point on, Paul says : " God was in Christ, reconciling 
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses 
unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of 



Jacob's Ladder. 199 

reconciliation/' Then God is in Christ, where reconcil- 
iation must take place. So in Christ is the place where 
God has promised to meet the sinner. That still goes 
to prove that Christ is the ladder that reaches from 
earth to heaven. But let me give one more passage on 
that point : " For this cause he is the mediator of the 
new testament, that by means of death, for the redemp- 
tion of the transgressions that were under the first tes- 
tament, they which are called might receive the prom- 
ise of eternal inheritance." Then Christ is the medi- 
ator, or he stands as a connecting link between God and 
man. He is not only the mediator for the old, but also 
for the new, for his blood was shed for all. If all this 
be true, then we cannot be saved out of Christ. Every 
spiritual blessing that comes to us must come through 
Christ ; and when we pray to God, it must be through 
the same divine channel. Many times I have heard 
people pray who would not honor Christ in their 
prayers. In the lodge rooms and in many other places 
people call upon God, but they ignore Christ. I am not 
saying that all do this, but some do. Many close their 
prayers : " Forever and ever. Amen." When we talk 
to God, we must talk through Christ; and when God 
talks to us, he talks through Christ. When we pray, it 
matters not how broken the thoughts, if it is prayed 
from the heart, the Spirit will take it up on the way 
and prepare it so that it will be presented unto God 
in the way to ask for all we need; but we must pray 
through Christ. 

But some of you are getting anxious for me to show 



200 Jacob's Ladder. 

you a passage showing heaven open, the angels, and 
the ladder. Here it is ; I read a part of it in the begin- 
ning : " Verily, verily, I say unto you. Hereafter ye 
shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending 
and descending upon the Son of man.*' (John 1: 51.) 
There it is, all of it — ^the ladder, heaven open, and the 
angels of God ascending on the Son of man. That 
proves beyond doubt that Jesus Christ is the ladder. 
He is the ladder, like he is the w^ay or the door. Of 
course the v^hole thing is just the way; but it is figura- 
tively referred to as the ladder, the way, or the door. 
So Jesus is called the " ladder," the " door," as well 
as the " way." The reason he is referred to as the 
ladder is because it is through Christ that we come to 
God or that we get to heaven. 

Since Christ died, was buried and arose again, as- 
cended into heaven, and is now at the right hand of 
God, how is it that all the promises are in Christ and 
that we must get into Christ in order to be saved ? How 
can we get into Christ while Christ is in heaven? We 
do not get into his literal body, but there is a way that 
we get into Christ. Hov/ is that? We get into Christ 
in a figurative way. Lazarus died and went to Abra- 
ham's bosom ; but who would think that he went into 
the literal Abraham? No one. He went to paradise. 
That is figuratively called "Abraham's bosom." We 
get into the body of Christ, but not literally. When we 
assemble around the Lord's table, we give thanks for 
the bread that is called " the body of Christ." Jesus 
says : " This is my body." It is not his literal body, 



Jacob's Ladder. 201 

but emblematically it is his body. Next is that immor- 
tal body that is now in heaven. We know we do not 
get into that. But there is a way that we get into 
Christ. There is another thing mentioned as his body. 
What is that? Read Eph. 1: 20-23: ^^ Which he 
wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, 
and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly 
places, far above all principality, and power, and might, 
and dominion, and every name that is named, not only 
in this world, but also in that which is to come: and 
hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be 
the head over all things to the church, which is his 
body, the fullness of him that fiUeth all in all.'' Let 
me emphasize : " The church, vjhich is his body/' Then 
the church is the body of Christ — not a denomination, 
not something founded by man, but the church of 
Christ, the one that Jesus said he would build upon the 
rock. Then to be in the church is to be in Christ. The 
church is figuratively called " the body of Christ." 
Then to be in the church is to be in Christ, figuratively. 
Christ is figuratively called '' the ladder; " the church 
is figuratively called " the body of Christ." Therefore 
the church is the figurative ladder. 

Is faith one of the rounds in that ladder ? No ; but 
faith must be all along the way. Is repentance one of 
the rounds of the ladder? No; but we may have to 
repent to get in a position to continue to climb. Is bap- 
tism one of the rounds of the ladder? No; but we are 
baptized into Christ, or we get on the ladder by these 
things I have just mentioned, and then we are ready 



202 Jacob's Ladder. 

to climb. We are baptized into Christ figuratively, for 
that is the only loay we can get into him. After we 
get into Christ, we add to our "faith virtue; and to 
virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and 
to temperance patience ; and to patience godliness ; and 
to godliness brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly kind- 
ness charity." These are the rounds in the ladder. 

My brother, if we are climbing that ladder success- 
fully, we are walking in the way that Christians should 
walk. Think of it! No man can climb this ladder ex- 
cept he climb on the rounds of virtue, knowledge, tem- 
perance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and 
charity. No whoremonger, gambler, drunkard, or par- 
taker in other kinds of wickedness can climb this lad- 
der, for he cannot climb up on such things. There is 
not any danger of a man's claiming that he has climbed 
the ladder successfully when he has not, for he knows 
himself the kind of a life he has lived. There are hun- 
dreds and thousands at the bottom of this ladder. They 
have been baptized, but they have not tried to climb. 
It may be that they think they cannot climb success- 
fully. But if we fail the first time, try it again. 

Sometimes a person will ask : " Now, suppose I add 
virtue, knowledge, and temperance, and then die be- 
fore I get the rest of them added?" You have the 
wrong idea about it. Do you know we can add all these 
Christian duties at one time? But here is a nice way 
to present it : Now, notice as we ascend the ladder, we 
step upon the first round, which is virtue; then we 
step to knowledge.' Now, shall we leave the first round 



Jacob's Ladder. 203 

like we would do in climbing an ordinary ladder? No; 
but we reach back and get the virtue and take it along 
with us. Then we step upon temperance; but as we 
will need knowledge, we reach back and get it. The 
next step is patience. Do we leave the temperance? 
No ; for we will need it on the way. The next step is 
godliness, and on to the top in the same way. When we 
reach charity, the greatest of all, we are then at the 
top; and we have virtue, knowledge, temperance, pa- 
tience, godliness, as well as charity. We have taken 
up the rounds as we ascended the ladder. 

Now, can we climb down on this ladder? No ; a man 
cannot climb down on virtue, knowledge, temperance, 
etc. When a man is walking on these rounds, he is al- 
ways ascending. Why not do all of these things and 
remain at the top of the ladder all the time? But some 
one is wanting to know how we can get down, since we 
cannot get down on the ladder. There is only one way 
to get down, and that is to fall; and no wonder it is 
said : " Great is the fall.'' That is one reason it is so 
hard to get an apostate to come back to the fold. It 
takes courage to become a Christian, and it takes cour- 
age to live a Christian. The man who continues on 
and on in the right way is the man who will receive 
the crown at the end of the race. 

Are there those here to-night who wish to climb this 
ladder? If so, do that which we are commanded and 
we can get on the ladder, and then we can climb it. 



THE FORM OF DOCTRINE. 



Sermon Number Thirteen. 



My subject is " The Form of Doctrine/' and my text 
is Rom. 6 : 17, 18, which I will now read : " God be 
thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have 
obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was 
delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye be- 
came the servants of righteousness." 

Paul was not thanking God that those people had 
been sinners; but though they had been sinners, they 
are now the children of God. The main point I aim to 
bring out to-night is to show what is meant by the ex- 
pression, " the form of doctrine.'' 

During this meeting I have talked about the estab- 
lishment of the church and other things, but have had 
very little to say about baptism, notwithstanding the 
fact that we are accused of preaching on baptism all 
the time; but I want to confess that the subject will 
be just a little bit watery at this time. My subject to- 
night will be on baptism. I do not only wish to con- 
vince you that baptism is essential to salvation, but I 
want to convince you that a person must be buried in 
baptism. If in the course of my remarks I should con- 
vince you that baptism is essential to salvation, I will 
have accomplished that much. In bringing out the 
thoughts in this lesson, we will show the design as well 



206 Jacob's Ladder. 

as the action of baptism. After I shall have placed 
these things before your minds, they will then be for 
you to meditate upon and decide for yourselves whether 
you have obeyed it or not. 

" Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doc- 
trine which was delivered you. Being then made free 
from sin.'' Every man who is willing to take what the 
Bible says is bound to admit that the expression, '' be- 
ing then made free from sin," shows that they were 
not made free from sin until after they had obeyed 
from the heart that form of doctrine. Another thing 
we want to be sure to notice, and that is that whatever 
the form of doctrine is, it is to be obeyed. As it is in 
the likeness of the death of Christ, we can only submit 
to it; but yet it is obedience. Then, whatever the obe- 
dience is, it is necessary to salvation, for we are made 
free after we obey. 

Here is another thing to notice in this text: This 
obedience is to be from the heart. '' Ye have obeyed 
from the heart that form of doctrine.'' I had preached 
for ten years before I noticed the point in the ex- 
pression, " obeyed from the heart/' I had preached on 
the change of heart, and had told people that the heart 
to be changed in conversion is not the physical heart; 
but I never thought about applying the same reasoning 
to this passage. To obey from the heart is to obey 
from the intellect. To obey from the intellect is to 
obey intellectually. No man can obey intellectually un- 
less he has some idea about the reason why he obeys. 
Can a man obey intellectually and not obey understand- 



Jacob's Ladder. 207 

ingly? Certainly not. Then to obey intellectually is to 
obey understandingly, and for that reason a person 
must understand the purpose of his obedience in order 
to make it obedience from the heart. If a person be- 
lieves that he is already in Christ and that he is already 
a child of God and that his sins are already forgiven, 
and is baptized to join some denomination, and at the 
same time thinks that he is obeying God, has he obeyed 
from the heart, or has he obeyed understandingly? 
Certainly he has not. Listen: The administrator has 
very little to do with the validity of baptism. The 
thing is for the candidate to be ready so that he can 
obey from the heart. I do not believe that any man 
can get into Christ accidentally; so every man who is 
dipped in the name of the Trinity is not baptized. 

Now, suppose some young man should come up dur- 
ing this meeting and make the confession and be bap- 
tized; I would think that the young man was honest. 
But suppose he is baptized to get some brother's daugh- 
ter; is his baptism worth anything? Certainly not. 
The preacher did his part well, and he used the right 
ceremony ; but the candidate was not right. He did not 
obey from the heart. This obedience must be from the 
heart, or the Lord will not accept it. Then remember 
that to obey from the heart is to obey intellectually or 
understandingly. Now,, if it does not matter, just so 
we are immersed, then all the Baptists and some of the 
Methodists are Christians ; and if they are Christians, 
they are members of the church of Christ. 

But, again, whatever this form of doctrine may be, 



208 Jacob's Ladder. 

it is something that each man or person must do in or- 
der to salvation, because it says, '' being then made free 
from sin ; '' and that shows that we are made free from 
sin after we obey from the heart that form of doc- 
trine. When we learn what the form is, then we will 
know what it is that a man must obey in order to be 
made free from sin. 

The word '' form " is from a Greek word that is 
translated " mold," " likeness," " shadow," etc. I wish 
to first notice it from the standpoint of a mold. " Have 
obeyed from the heart that mold of doctrine." I can 
remember my earliest impression of a mold. My 
brother and I found a bullet mold. We got a piece of 
lead and began to make bullets. We worked at it day 
after day; but during all this time we made nothing 
but bullets, for the mold would not make anything else. 
We would mold all the lead we had into bullets, and 
then we would hammer them together and mold them 
over again. It was the molding that we liked. We had 
soon wasted all of our lead and did not know what to 
do, when I happened to think that mother nearly al- 
ways had cold biscuits in the safe ; so I went and got a 
biscuit and proceeded to make bullets. They were 
rather pale and soft; but they were bullets, just the 
same. But they make me think of some brethren I 
have met in my time. Some are just about as soft as 
those biscuit bullets. When I see a man without any 
firmness — one of these weak-kneed Christians — I think 
of those biscuit bullets. You find one of these soft fel- 
lows, and he cannot stand to have the gospel preached 



Jacob's Ladder. 209 

in a plain, simple way ; for he is afraid that some one 
will get offended. Of course I realize that men can be- 
come insulting, and that should not be indulged in ; but 
let a man speak the truth and make it just as plain as 
possible. The main thing, my brother, is to show how 
the truth stands above error; and the way to do that 
is to give the truth, and all erroneous doctrine will 
sink beneath the sounding blows of the hammer of 
truth. 

But back to the mold. Nothing could be molded in 
that mold but a bullet. There are different kinds of 
molds in the world. I now hold up a coin called " two 
bits " and one called " four bits.'' These are not the 
same size. Who would say they are molded in the same 
mold? They may be alike in some particulars, like a 
bullet and a turkey shot; but they were not molded in 
the same mold, as will be admitted. A man could take 
a piece of lead and put it into a mold in which half dol- 
lars are molded, and the piece he molds would look 
something like the half dollar, but it is only counterfeit. 
The only way to tell it is counterfeit is to test the ma- 
terial. When a man is baptized who has not been con- 
verted, he is a counterfeit. The man must be the right 
kind of material, and that material is prepared by the 
Spirit through the word. It converts the man, and 
conversion must precede baptism. Jeremiah illustrates 
this when he speaks of the work wrought on the wheels. 
He made the wheel as good as the material would make 
it. The potter makes the vessel as good as the clay will 
make it. 



210 Jacob's Ladder. 

There are all kinds of denominations in the world, 
and they all have molds. The lodges also have molds. 
So, you see, there are lots of molds in the world. If a 
man becomes a Mormon, he must be molded in the Mor- 
mon mold ; if he becomes a Mason, he must be molded 
in the Masonic mold ; if he becomes an Odd Fellow, he 
must be molded in the Odd Fellow mold ; and if he be- 
comes a Christian, he must be molded in the Lord's 
mold. The Lord's mold is quite different from all 
these other molds. Now, if a man has been molded in 
the Masonic mold, does that make him a Christian? 
If a man has been m.olded in the Baptist mold, does 
that make him a member of the church of Christ? No. 
If a man has been molded in the Lord's mold, the Bap- 
tists will not have him unless he is molded in the Bap- 
tist mold. Sometimes we hear people say : '' Will he 
take me in on my baptism?" Now, we cannot take 
people into the church of Christ. The Lord does that. 
If a person has been scripturally baptized, he is a mem- 
ber of the church of Christ and does not have to be 
received into the church. 

Another meaning of this term is *' likeness." We 
obey a likeness of the doctrine of Christ's death, bur- 
ial, and resurrection. Whatever this form of doctrine 
may be, it is a likeness of the death, burial, and resur- 
rection of Christ. Why do I say this? Because the Bi- 
ble says so. But I will say more about this part of the 
subject later. 

Now, I will take it up from the standpoint of a 
shadoiv. " Ye have obeyed from the heart that shadow 



Jacob's Ladder. 211 

of doctrine/' What do we understand by the word 
'* shadow?" Well, it is a shadow of something, and 
that something is the doctrine, for it is ** that shadow 
of doctrine." The doctrine, then, is the substance. But 
we obey that shadow of doctrine. Then that shadow 
must be something of a nature that we can obey. We 
do not obey the doctrine itself, according to this figure ; 
but we obey a shadow of this doctrine. Then the 
shadow is one thing and the doctrine is another. The 
shadow must be like the doctrine, for it is a shadow of 
the doctrine. Does a picture of me or a shadow of me 
look like me? Certainly it does. Now, some people 
have tried to change the form or shadow. But listen : 
You cannot change the form of a thing unless you 
change the thing itself. Now let me illustrate: Here 
is a light on the stand. I stand here to one side, and 
you can see my shadow on the wall. There is the light, 
here is the substance, and there is the shadow on the 
wall. Can you change that shadow on the w^all? No, 
not unless you change the substance. You might take 
a broadax and go there and hammer on that shadow 
until doomsday, but you cannot change it unless you 
change the substance. If my arms should be removed 
from my body, then there will be no arms in the 
shadow. Now, remember my point: You cannot de- 
stroy the shadoiv of a thing unless yon destroy the thing 
itself. You cannot destroy the form of anything un- 
less you destroy the thing itself. 

It was about twelve years ago when I was holding 
a meeting at Black Rock, Ark., that a very striking 



212 Jacob's Ladder. 

incident occurred, and I must tell about it. The meet- 
ing began in a room of a hotel that was not yet finished. 
The congregation soon outgrew that place, and we had 
to move to another place. The denominations would 
not let us use their churches, so we had to look else- 
where for accommodations. There was an old lum.- 
ber shed vacant, and it was just the place; for the 
weather was warm and the people preferred outdoor 
services. One night during the meeting, a preacher, 
having heard me make the same statement that I have 
made to-night concerning the shadow and the sub- 
stance, arose and asked permission to make an an- 
nouncement, which was granted. He announced that 
he would preach at the Baptist church at a certain time 
on the same subject that I had preached on that night. 
After our meeting \iad closed, we went to his church 
and heard him preach on the subject that he had an- 
nounced at our meeting. It was amusing. I wish you 
could have been there. After he had been talking a 
while, he came to the argument on the shadow and the 
substance, and said : '* You remember what the young 
man from Texas said at the lumber shed about the 
shadow and the substance, do you not? He placed the 
light on the stand, made himself the substance, and 
then called attention to the shadow on the wall. Now, 
if you remember, he said that you could not change 
the shadow without changing the substance ; but I want 
to tell you that I can. It is easily done.'' 

Well, I straightened myself up in the seat, and with 
eagerness I waited for him to tell how he could change 



Jacob's Ladder. 213 

the shadow and not change the substance. I had al- 
ways thought that it could not be done, and even then 
I did not think it could be done. Perhaps my congre- 
gation would have wondered at it as well. Then he 
said : '' Remember the light on the stand, take me for 
the substance, and there is the shadow on the wall. 
Now, I can change the shadow and not change the sub- 
stance. I can do away with the shadow and not bother 
the substance. Keep your eyes on the shadow." 

At this time he stepped back toward the stand, still 
reminding them to keep their eyes on the shadow ; and 
while they v/ere looking at the shadow, he blew the 
light out, and, of course, the shadow was gone. Well, 
v/ell, well! What logic! I had never thought of that 
method. But he told the truth, after all; and I must 
give him credit for it, even if it does fall hard on his 
position. Think of it ! The word of God — ^the Bible — 
is the light; the death, burial, and resurrection of 
Christ is the substance; and the shadow is baptism. 
The word of God shines on the death, burial, and res- 
urrection of Christ, and it casts its shadow, and that 
shadow is baptism. Now he has admitted that you 
cannot do away with baptism, unless you put the light 
out, and the light is the Bible. I thanked him for his 
admission, and we went home. 

Then we obey from the heart that likeness of doc- 
trine. Then we are made free from sin. Remember 
that we obey the form, or shadow, and do not obey the 
doctrine itself. But be sure that you keep it in mind 
that if you destroy the form of a thing you destroy the 
thing itself, for I will need that later in the sermon. 



214 JACOB'S Ladder. 

Is it unreasonable to say that the shadow should be 
like the substance? Certainly not. How could it be 
otherwise? But what is that form of doctrine? My 
text is Rom. 6: 17, and now I want to read the first 
part of the chapter. Paul says " that form," as though 
it was something he had been talking to them about; 
and he was, as I will read in the first part of the chap- 
ter : '' Know ye not, that so many of us as were bap- 
tized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? " 
This shows that our baptism is like his death. " There- 
fore we are buried with him by baptism/' So we are 
buried in the likeness of his burial. So we must be 
like him in the resurrection. *' That like as Christ was 
raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, 
even so we also should walk in newness of life." My 
friends, have you been buried in the likeness of his 
burial and raised in the likeness of his resurrection? 
Who can have the heart to sprinkle a few drops of wa- 
ter on the head and say that it is in the likeness of the 
burial of Christ? Some have, but I do not see how they 
can do it. 

Suppose I should tell that a certain man lived whose 
name was " Hiram," and that there was a certain in- 
stitution founded by him before he died, and that a 
man must go through a form of his death, burial, and 
resurrection in order to be a member of that institu- 
tion; would you think that anything short of a rep- 
resentation of a burial would fill the bill? Think on 
these things. 

If we do not obey the form of doctrine in baptism, 



Jacob's Ladder. 215 

will some one please tell me when it is that we obey 
something that is like the death, burial, and resurrec- 
tion of Christ? I am not expecting any one to answer. 
Again, Paul says : *' For if we have been planted to- 
gether in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in 
the likeness of his resurrection." Now, is it not plain 
that in order to be like him in the resurrection we must 
be like him in his burial ? Then, how can we expect to 
obey the form of doctrine short of a burial ? Can we 
be planted in the likeness of his death if we are not 
buried? No. Then, my friend, how can you be satis- 
fied with affusion? Then it is clearly shown that in 
some way we are raised from the dead. We are like 
him in death, we are like him in the burial, and we are 
like him in the resurrection. In what sense are we 
raised from the dead? Some have an idea that a man 
has been raised from the dead before he is buried, but 
that will not do. There is a sense in which we are dead, 
and then we are raised from that death state after we 
are buried. We are dead in the sense that we are still 
guilty for the sins we committed before we made the 
change. The resurrection is the raising of the man 
from that guilt, remitting his sins, making him a child 
of God, etc. If the man is raised from the dead before 
he is buried, then it is not like the death, burial, and 
resurrection of Christ. It cannot be a shadow or a like- 
ness unless it is like it. Jesus was raised from the 
dead after he had been buried, so we are raised from 
the dead after we are buried. How solemn the scene 
when the candidate walks out into the water and is 



216 Jacob's Ladder. 

buried beneath the wave and raised, which pictures 
to our minds afresh the death, burial, and resurrec- 
tion of Christ! Think of it! It represents a burial — 
and the burial and resurrection of Christ at that. 

Sometimes there is a case where a Methodist preacher 
is called upon by some of his members to immerse 
some one. He very reluctantly goes to the water and 
tries to make the occasion as awkward as possible. It 
is a shame the way it is sometimes carried on. Some 
of you may think this is plain talk, but let the man who 
is not guilty keep quiet. He will dash the candidate 
down into the water like he would a chunk of wood, 
for he thinks it will be an argument that baptism is in- 
decent. But I must not get angry about it. Buried 
" in the likeness of his death." Is such performance 
as that like it? No. People will find out some time 
that it is best to take what the Bible says. 

" But," says one, '' the word * immerse ' is not in 
the Bible." That is true, but the word '' sprinkle " 
is there. There is not a place where water baptism 
is mentioned that the Greek word does not appear it- 
self, with the ending changed from '* o " to " e " — 
" baptize " instead of " baptizo." That accounts for 
the word '' immerse " not being there. I am glad that 
you called attention to that, for it gave a chance to use 
it in this sermon. 

The rest of the sermon I want to take up in the form 
of the number " three." You remember the argument 
I have been making is on the death, burial, and resur- 
rection. So I will place this at the top of the black- 



Jacob's Ladder. 217 

board, representing it with the letters '' D — B — R," 
which represent the death, burial, and resurrection. 
This is in the number " three " — death. No. 1 ; burial. 
No. 2; and resurrection. No. 3. Notice it as we come 
on down with the different passages, etc. 

The first thing I wish to notice, however, is the travel 
of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage to the 
land of Canaan. When they started out on their jour- 
ney from Egypt, there was a cloud that was given 
them for a guide. They followed the cloud until they 
got to the Red Sea. The Israelites looked out across 
the sea, and they knew they could not cross it as it was ; 
then they looked behind them, and there they saw the 
Egyptians following. There was the mountain on one 
side, the sea on the other, and a mountain before them ; 
so they could not go to the right or the left. So they 
were afraid and began to cry unto Moses, and asked 
why they had been brought out there to die. Old Pha- 
raoh thought if he could keep them from getting across 
the water, he might stand some chance to keep them ; 
but he thought if they ever got across the water, it was 
*' good-by, 'Liza Jane." Even to-day the devil puts 
forth his strongest effort just before a penitent be- 
liever gets to the water. 

When Israel asked Moses why he had brought them 
out there in that wilderness, he said to them : '* Stand 
still, and see the salvation of the Lord." I remember 
hearing a preacher on the streets in San Marcos, Texas, 
about fifteen years ago, and during his talk he said: 
'' I am glad that I can say, ' Stand still, and see the sal- 



218 Jacob's Ladder. 

vation of the Lord.' " 0, how I did want him to read 
on ! The next is this : " Wherefore criest thou unto me? 
speak unto the children of Israel, that they go for- 
ward." Now, if Moses meant for the children of Israel 
to do nothing, then he was wrong. The truth of the 
matter is this : Moses meant for them to let God pre- 
pare the way, and then they could cross. The sea was 
divided, and there was a wall to them on either side. 
They marched into the sea, and the cloud came and 
stood over them. So they had the wall of the sea on 
either side and the cloud above them. They passed 
through the sea and came out on the other side, and 
sung the song of deliverance. They did not sing the 
song of deliverance until they had crossed the sea. 
Paul, referring to this event, said that the Israelites 
were baptized unto Moses m the cloud and in the sea. 
It took the cloud and the sea, too, to make the covering 
up, or the baptism. 

It is funny to hear an aff usionist claim that the cloud 
poured out water as they were going through the sea. 
They do not stop to think that a little proof is needed, 
and they seem to forget that it was a cloud of fire by 
night. Mr. Pigue made an attempt to prove that this 
cloud rained on the Israelites as they went through the 
sea, but I will not intimidate him by telling of it here. 

The Egyptians entered the sea, and the waters came 
together, and they were drowned in the midst of the 
sea. The Israelites saw their enemy go down before 
their eyes. It was then that they could sing the song 
of deliverance. The Bible said that the Lord saved 
Israel that day. 



Jacob's Ladder. 219 

So we see in this the cloud, the sea, and the deliver- 
ance — ^the cloud, No. 1 ; the sea. No. 2 ; and deliverance, 
No. 3. So the diagram stands as illustrated by the let- 
ters " C — S — D.'' I will now add this to the diagram : 

D— B— R 

C— S— D 
Coming to the New Testament, we hear John saying : 
" There are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, 
and the water, and the blood: and these three agree 
in one." Here is the number " three '' again — spirit, 
water, and blood. As the cloud led the children of Is- 
rael across the sea, where they got deliverance, so the 
Spirit leads us across the water, where we get to the 
blood. That is just the way it reads in my Bible, and 
that is the way I believe it. I will represent it by the 
letters " S— W— B.'^ 

D— B— R 

C_S— D 

S_W— B 
In Mark 16 : 16 Jesus says : " He that believeth and 
is baptized shall be saved." Here is the number 
" three " again — ^believe, baptism, salvation. You will 
notice, too, that the salvation is number " three," blood 
is number " three," and deliverance is number " three." 
So the salvation is where the blood is, and that is after 
baptism. I will represent this by the letters " B — B — 

S." 

D— B— R 
C_S— D 
S— W— B 
B— B— S 



220 Jacob's Ladder. 

The next place I will call your attention to is in Acts 
2 : 38 : '' Repent, and be baptized ... in the name 
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." See, for 
some reason this is given in the number '' three '' — re- 
pentance, baptism, and remission of sins. Notice, too, 
that remission of sins is number " three." The blood 
is number '' three," so remission of sins is where the 
blood is. I will represent it by the letters " R — B — R." 

D— B— R 

C_S— D 

S_W— B 

B— B— S 

R_B— R 
I will now read a passage in Acts 22: 16: "Arise, 
and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on 
the name of the Lord." Here it is given again in the 
number '' three." You will also notice that washing 
away of sins is number " three." It is where the blood 
is. The baptism does not wash the sins away, but the 
sins are washed away by the blood of Christ. Arise, 
baptism, wash away sins — I will represent this by the 
letters *^A— B— W." 

D— B— R 

C— S— D 

S— W— B 

B_B— S 

R_B— R 

A— B— W 
So the diagram is made out, and it is exactly accord- 
ing to the word of God. You will notice that remis- 



Jacob's Ladder. 221 

sion of sins, washing away of sins, salvation, deliver- 
ance, the blood, and the resurrection are all number 
'' three." That places salvation where the blood is, and 
on the side of the resurrection. 

But, remember, if you destroy the shadow of the 
likeness or the form of a thing, you destroy the thing 
itself. I want to try it that way now and see how it 
will work. We v/ill now begin at the bottom of the dia- 
gram and change it as we go up. Remember, we are 
changing this to show you how sectarians will try to 
fix it. They do not believe that a man is baptized in 
order to the washing away of his sins, so we reverse it 
according to their theory. Instead of putting it "A — 
B — W,'' as it appears in the book and on the board, I 
will put it : ''Arise, wash away thy sins, and then be bap- 
tized." Where it says, '' Repentance, baptism, and re- 
mission," I will put it: '' Repent, get remission of sins, 
and then be baptized." Where it says, " Believe, bap- 
tized, salvation," I will put it : '' Believe, get salvation, 
and then be baptized." W^here it says, " Spirit, water, 
and the blood," I will put it: " Spirit, blood, and then 
water." Then I will take, " Cloud, sea, and deliv- 
erance," and put it : '' Cloud, deliverance, and then the 
sea." Now, remember, if I change the form of a thing, 
I must change the thing itself; so I now change the 
next one. Where it speaks of the death, burial, and 
resurrection of Christ, I will put it : '' Death, resurrec- 
tion, and then a burial." That would represent Christ 
as being raised from the dead and then buried. Are 
we ready for that change? I can hear the answer: 



222 Jacob's Ladder. 

'' No! No!! No!!! " Then we must leave it like it is 
in the book. 

Remember, I told you last night that remission of 
sins is not something that is removed from the person, 
but it is what God does for us. Our sins are recorded 
in his mind; and when we obey from the heart that 
form of doctrine, our sins are blotted out of his mem- 
ory and he will not remember them against us any 
more. I believe it. It is not just because I have been 
raised up in it that I believe it, but it is because the 
Bible says it. 

Think how nice it is to be right on these great ques- 
tions ! Let us take the Bible for our guide, and then we 
are sure to be right. 

We will now extend an invitation to those who wish 
to become the children of God — ^not that I can save you 
or receive you into the church; but if you are believ- 
ers and you have repented of your sins and now you 
wish to confess your faith in Christ and be baptized 
for the remission of sins, I will be glad for you to come. 
When you have obeyed the Lord, he will receive you 
into the church and write your name in the Lamb's book 
of life. 



THE PRECIOUS INVITATION. 



Sermon Number Fourteen. 



I have promised to preach to-night on '' The Precious 
Invitation/' or, as we might otherwise express it, 
'' Come unto me.'' My text is Matt. 11 : 28, 29 : '' Come 
unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I 
will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn 
of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall 
find rest unto your souls." 

It is not at all strange to hear people invite their 
friends to be with them on special occasions, but we 
never hear of people inviting their enemies; but the 
invitation that Jesus gave is quite different. '' Come 
unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden." It 
does not matter how prominent the man may be, how 
rich he may be, or how poor he may be, he is included 
in the invitation. The man who sits upon his throne 
and has nations under his domain, as well as the beg- 
gar in his cottage, is included in this invitation. A 
man never gets so low down in the world but what he 
can come to Christ and be saved if he will. In some 
classes of religious people there are differences made 
between the poor and the aristocrats. Of course there 
are some poor people among the aristocrats, but it is 
generally for the want of that they lack. What I mean 
is that there is a difference in the " grades," as they 



224 Jacob's Ladder. 

a.re sometimes called. But the religion of Jesus Christ 
will teach me to respect the poor as well as the rich. 

Jesus, then, invites all to come to him. I want to im- 
press it upon your mind that all have a right to be 
saved, if they will. It depends on their willingness to 
be saved ; and if people are not saved, they can blame 
nobody but themselves. When Jesus looked at the na- 
tion of which he was a part and how far many of them 
were from accepting him, he said : " How often would 
I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen 
gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would 
not! " It was sad indeed. It is also sad when we look 
around us to-day and see people who are more for 
style and things of that kind than they are for the 
Lord. " The latest " is the fad of the times ; but if you 
will allow me to express my sentiments, I will say: 
''Away with fashion, away with style, away with the 
up-to-date religion ! '' Some people want style before 
comfort. If a man wants to go to the bad place, he 
is making the right start when he begins to try to fol- 
low the style. 

" Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy 
laden." Some are loaded heavily with something. 
What is it? The heaviest load that a man can carry 
is the load of sin. But there is a place where the bur- 
den can be removed. Jesus said : '' Come unto me, 
. . . and I will give you rest." So we can get rest 
if we will come to Christ. There is nothing so sooth- 
ing to the child as the expression from the mother: 
''Come here, and mother will calm your fears." Can 



Jacob's Ladder. 225 

we appreciate the meaning of the expression, '' Come 
unto me, . . . and I will give you rest? " He has 
power to save us, or give us rest, and he will give it to 
us if we will come to him. 

But why is it so that the sinner is in such condition 
that he is heavy laden and is in need of rest? Why 
are people sinners? In the beginning it was not so, 
but man has wandered away from God. The first sin 
was committed in the garden of Eden. There was no 
sin in the world up to that time ; but Satan visited the 
garden and persuaded Mother Eve to partake of the 
forbidden fruit, and thus sin was introduced into the 
world. People are not born sinners, but they become 
sinners by transgression of the law, and men are not 
under law until they come to the years of accountabil- 
ity. Man is to blame for his own condition. We see 
a man down in the gutter on account of strong drink. 
He is not like the ordinary animal, as some are sup- 
posed to compare such men; but he is worse than 
the animal, for the animal will not do that. But that 
man can come to Christ if he will. He went away from 
God, but God made a way for him to return ; but it is 
left with the man to return, if he will. Take the man 
to-day who is a murderer. Nobody is to blame but 
himself, for he drifted far away from God ; but he can 
return. Now, remember that man is to blame for his 
own condition, and he can only blame himself. But 
there must be some kind of a reconciliation. God must 
go to the sinner or the sinner must go to God. There 
is a way of reconciliation, and that way is made plain 
in the Bible. 
8 



226 Jacob's Ladder. 

Now let us look at it from our view of such things. 
Take our idea of justice. Suppose that two men are 
brought up before the court that is in session now in 
this city and should be tried for fighting. Each man 
is to blame, and they are fined equally. Now, if they 
happen to be members of the church, it is their duty to 
come up before the church and make an acknowledg- 
ment of their conduct, and they must meet each other 
halfway and confess their wrongs to each other. Now, 
that is our idea of justice and God's plan for reconcil- 
ing such things. Now, if God is to blame for our sins, 
then it is his place to come all the way to the sinner. 
Our idea of justice would be that if the sinner is alto- 
gether to blame, then the sinner should come all the 
way. But God is better to us than even our idea of 
justice. If our idea of justice is carried out, then the 
sinner should come all the way; but God does not ask 
that, for he has promised to meet the sinner midway. 
He has promised to meet the sinner in Christ. Christ 
stands as a mediator between God and the sinner. Paul 
says that God is in Christ reconciling the world unto 
himself. The reconciliation takes place in Christ; so 
we must get in Christ, where God has promised to meet 
the sinner. We should thank God for being so merci- 
ful to us, but some people will have the audacity to 
ask the Lord to come all the way. We hear them say : 
" Lord, come down now and save us. Send the sav- 
ing power down now. Lord, I will stay right here and 
wait for you to come to me." Does not that look like 
some do not appreciate what God has done for them? 



Jacob's Ladder. 227 

It looks that way to me. Now, if the Bible tells us that 
we must come to Christ in order to get the blessing, 
we need not ask for the blessing before we come to 
Christ. It is no sin to pray, but the man who prays 
all the time and never obeys will not be saved. The 
man who prays and does is the man who will be saved. 

Then the sinner comes to Christ. God meets him 
there, and there is where the blessing takes place. 
" Come unto me, . . . and I will give you rest." 
The sinner is to do the coming, and Christ is to give the 
rest. If I should tell some child in this congregation 
to come up here and I would give him a dollar, would 
he understand that I was to go to him? No; but if he 
believed, he would come to me, expecting to get the 
money. The child can understand a proposition like 
that; and, now, why not understand Jesus w^hen he 
says, " Come unto me, . . . and I will give you 
rest? " 

But some one will say that the sinner has no power 
to come to Christ. My friends, we are bound to say 
that God has made the plan and that he has invited the 
sinner to come and that the sinner can come, or Jesus 
would never have said to him : *' Come." 

The idea is taught by a great many that man is to- 
tally depraved, or, as it is sometimes expressed, " he- 
reditarily or totally depraved." Now, that is express- 
ing the idea that a man is totally unfit for anything 
that is good, or, as it is sometimes expressed, *' they 
are opposite to all good " — wholly inclined to evil and 
under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without de- 



228 Jacob's Ladder. 

fense or excuse. Not only that, but the position is that 
they are born that way. You ask me if I believe that, 
and I am glad to tell you, '' No ; " for I do not believe 
that any child is born a sinner. I hope you will not 
get astonished if I tell you that the majority of the 
world to-day are linked up with those who believe that 
a little infant, in its mother's arms, is a sinner; that 
it is born in sin; that it is a defiled creature in soul, 
body, and spirit; and, besides that, it must be regener- 
ated before it dies, or it will not go to heaven. That 
is the way it is taught by many people at this day. It 
is useless for me to tell you who does it. I have de- 
bated this question quite a number of times, and I am 
very familiar with the doctrines as taught by many 
of our friends in religious denominations ; but the ques- 
tion is, What does the Bible say? Jesus says: "For 
of such is the kingdom of heaven." He said to his dis- 
ciples : " Except ye be converted, and become as little 
children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." 
Then if we are to be converted and become as little 
children, and little children are totally depraved, then 
we would have to become totally depraved in order to 
get to heaven. Let me illustrate it in this w^ay, my 
friends : For mstance, the child is supposed to be born 
totally depraved. Of course the word '' total " means 
all. '' Depraved '' means '' corrupt.'' But before people 
can be regenerated they must first degenerate. First, 
they are totally depraved, according to that theory; 
then when they are regenerated, they are only brought 
back to a state of total depravity. Jesus Christ said : 



Jacob's Ladder. 229 

" Except ye be converted, and become as little children 
[or be regenerated] , ye cannot enter into the kingdom 
of heaven.'' Then Jesus says : ** For of such is the 
kingdom of heaven." But just suppose the baby is to- 
tally depraved, and then it is regenerated, or brought 
back. Is it not totally depraved ? Now, remember that 
before there can be regeneration there must be degen- 
eration. To degenerate means to get worse ; but he is 
already totally depraved, according to the theory. 
Now, if it gets v/orse, what is he then ? Is he teetotally 
depraved? That would be the only result. It could not 
be anything else. Then, my friends, since it would be 
impossible for a man to be teetotally depraved, it would 
make regeneration impossible to a man who was born 
totally depraved. 

But, now, the Bible does not say that people are born 
that way. There is no passage anywhere in the Bible 
that tells us anything like that. I have many times 
in my preaching and during a meeting tried to get peo- 
ple to find the passage which says that children are 
born sinners. One time I was called on to hold a dis- 
cussion with a man whose name is '' Fuson." He lived 
in Illinois. The debate was held in the southern part 
of Arkansas. During the debate the question came up 
about whether children were born totally depraved or 
not, and I began to call on him for chapter and verse 
and asked him to find it. After several hours, he 
brought up a passage, but did not read it correctly. He 
pretended to quote the statement of David, but said he 
" was conceived in iniquity and born in sin." I asked 



230 Jacob's Ladder. 

him what he said. He repeated it: "David said he 
was conceived in iniquity and born in sin.*' I then 
asked him chapter and verse, and he gave that to me 
again. I wanted it to be impressed on the minds of the 
people, so there would be no mistake about it. " Con- 
ceived in iniquity and born in sin.*' So when I got up, 
I turned to the passage that he was supposed to have 
quoted, and said that it was not there. Several of his 
brother preachers were present. They began to " nod " 
in the affirmative, saying that it was there. I still con- 
tended that it was not. They '' nodded " and 1 
" shook " for some little bit. Finally I read it : "I was 
shapen in iniquity ; and in sin did my mother conceive 
me.'' It does not say in that place that he was born 
at all, but simply says " shapen in iniquity " and in sin 
his mother conceived him. That is all. But I remem- 
ber one time, when I was holding a meeting in a little 
village the name of which I do not remember, I thought 
I would find how many people in the congregation had 
the wrong idea about the passage; so I quoted it : " Con- 
ceived in iniquity and born in sin." I did not aim to 
get off a joke on some of my own brethren, for I 
thought they all knew better ; but, to my surprise, some 
of my own brethren held their hands up. My brethren 
had actually heard it so much that they thought it was 
correct. That shows how people can use passages of 
" homemade scripture " until they almost think it is 
actually in the word of God. My Bible does not say 
anywhere that a person is born in sin, that he is born 
totally depraved, or anything like that. 



Jacob's Ladder. 231 

Listen : Man is able. Man is competent. Man's in- 
telligence makes him such that he is responsible and 
can come to Christ. When the law is presented to man, 
he has the power to accept it or reject it. The man 
who has not that power, if there should be such, stands 
in the condition of the little infant in its mother's arms 
and is not considered responsible, and will go to heaven 
without obedience, because if he does not have sense 
enough to understand the will of God, he does not have 
sense enough to sin, he does not understand anything 
about it, and would not be considered a responsible per- 
son. But let me illustrate it in this way : I will tell you 
a circumstance that I heard a man relate one time at 
Troup, Texas. I was there at the time, attending the 
Chilton Military Institute, where I received part of my 
education. The man's name was " Carroll,'' and he 
lived somewhere in the North, and came to Troup to 
hold a meeting, and I heard him several times. One 
night he made the illustration that I am going to tell 
you about, and I must say it was very striking. He 
said he wanted to illustrate the plan of salvation by a 
burning building. '' Suppose there is a two-story build- 
ing on fire and there is a man upstairs asleep. The 
flames rise higher and higher, and I want the man 
saved ; so I take a ladder and put it up to the window. 
I know quick work must be done. I go up the ladder, 
and I raise the window. Now, do I say, *John, John, 
the house is on fire? ' No, I wouldn't do that, because 
that would not be according to the word of God. I 
would walk up where he is enjoying his slumber, and. 



232 Jacob's Ladder. 

without waking him, reach down and take him up in 
my arms, take him to the window, down the ladder, 
and then a distance where there is no danger of the 
fire; then I could say that I have saved that man." 
When he said that, several of his brethren began to say, 
''Amen." Some of them were shedding tears; but I 
couldn't get off an " amen " to save my life, because 
I couldn't help but think about it. I knew that he had 
not been fair about it. I knew that, in order to let it 
represent the plan of salvation, there must be two men 
upstairs instead of one — one to represent the man who 
is saved and the other to represent the man who is lost. 
So I make the illustration according to that. 

Now, two men are asleep upstairs. The building is 
on fire. The flames rise faster, and I know that I must 
work quickly. I put the ladder up to the window, and 
I go up, raise the window ; and if it was me, of course 
I would say: " Boys, the house is on fire! " But ac- 
cording to the illustration, I wouldn't do that. I slip 
along easily until I get to where they are. Notwith- 
standing the smoke, the crashing of the timber, the 
people hallooing ''Fire!" the fire bells ringing, the 
whistles blowing, and general carousing about the fire, 
I am taking it perfectly easy. I look at the two men, 
side by side. They are strangers to me. They are 
children of Adam's race, and I think to myself, " One 
to be taken and the other left ; " so I reach down and I 
take one in my arms, and I start to the window ; but I 
look back at the poor fellow I left, and I think to my- 
self : " Well, if he wasn't asleep, he might come down; 



Jacob's Ladder. 233 

but he is asleep. I will let him sleep on. I could save 
him yet, because I could take him under one arm and 
the other man under the other. He doesn't know the 
house is on fire, and he will stay there and burn. He 
can't save himself unless he knows something about it, 
but I will save this man." And then I thought to my- 
self: "Can we say that is just?" No man will say 
that I did as a just man should. Yet, my friends, that 
tyrannical feature is the very picture that some men 
draw of God. If man is unable to help himself, then 
why not have a universal salvation? What's the use 
to punish a man for that which he cannot help ? And if 
man is unable to help himself, then he should not be 
considered responsible. Think about it. 

Suppose that a father, seeing his little boy tied hard 
and fast to a post, would say: *' Jimmy, come here." 
Jimmy would say : " Father, I would come, but don't 
you see I am tied? I would come — I always obey 
you — I would come if I could." The father says: 
''Jimmy, you come here." Jimmy says : " No, father, 
I can't come unless you will untie me." Suppose the 
father should go there and whip the boy for not com- 
ing; would you think he was the right kind of a man? 
No, sir. Yet there is the very picture some men draw 
of God. A man can come to God, or he never would 
have said, '' Come." Jesus never would have given the 
invitation, " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are 
heavy laden, and I will give you rest," if it hadn't been 
that man was able to come ; and, besides that, if man 
is unable to accept the great plan of salvation, it never 



234 Jacob's Ladder. 

would have been said : " Whosoever will may come." 
Jesus never would have said : '' Whosoever will ; '' John 
never would have said, " Whosoever will ; '' the Spirit 
never would have said, " Whosoever will may come." 
They would not have said that if it had been impossi- 
ble for man to come. Then man undoubtedly has power 
to do as he is commanded — has power to come to where 
God has asked him to come in order to get salvation. 

Then he says : '* Come, . . . and I will give you 
rest." The rest, then, of course, is after we come. But 
some one wishes that I read John 6: 44; so, for his 
satisfaction, I will read it, because I want to get every 
good point that is in the lesson. I read : '' No man can 
come to me." Yes, it says it. *' No man can come to 
me." Some men will possibly read just that far, and 
will leave the impression on the mind of the people 
that a man has no power to come. But what attitude 
does that place God in? Jesus said, " Come unto me, 
. . . and I will give you rest; " and then read that, 
" No man can come." Wouldn't that seem like tan- 
talizing? I should think so. Suppose there would be a 
ditch about twenty feet wide that we couldn't cross, 
one man on one side and one on the other. One man 
would hold his purse up and say to Jim, on the other 
side : "Jim, come here and I will give you ten thousand 
dollars ; but you can't come." What do you reckon Jim 
would think? I expect Jim would think: "Well, you 
just be quiet, old fellow. If ever I get across that ditch, 
I will make you think, ' Come here, Jim.' " Why? Be- 
cause it would be tantalizing. Yet men place God in 



Jacob's Ladder. 235 

that attitude. A man can come. Jesus doesn't mean 
to convey the idea that a man has no power to do that 
which he asked him to do. 

Listen: Why not take all that is said on the subject 
and get the proper understanding of it? That's the 
idea. The Bible doesn't contradict itself, if we will 
take it all. Let me read all this passage : '' No man 
can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me 
draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." 
Then we see they do not come except in some way they 
are drawn by the Father. But how does the Father 
draw him? Brother, that is the great question. How 
does God draw? Does he draw us by force? Does he 
draw us by persuasion? Does he draw us by that ir- 
resistible operation of the Spirit without the word ? 
No, not that. But how does he draw? Just read the 
next verse : '' It is written in the prophets. And they 
shall be all taught of God. Every m.an therefore that 
hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh 
unto me." 

Then we find that the man who hears and learns of 
the Father is the man who comes to Christ. Isn't that 
plain? Now, let me illustrate it in this way: For in- 
stance, God is in heaven, the sinner is on earth. Now, 
God is to reach the sinner. God is the one who con- 
verts. God leads the sinner ; but how does he lead him? 
Jesus says " hearing and learning of the Father." Now 
we notice the statement of Paul in 2 Cor. 5 : 19 : " To 
wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto 
himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them ; and 



236 Jacob's Ladder. 

hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation/' 
There is a reconciliation, but we are reconciled by the 
word. Wh3^? ''Now then we are ambassadors for 
Christ, as though God did beseech you by us : we pray 
you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." Then 
the sinner is reconciled to God by the word. 

Listen : We find that God sent Christ, as I said be- 
fore, as a mediator. Jesus selected twelve men whom 
he called ''disciples." In John 17 Jesus prayed: "I 
have given unto them [the apostles] the words which 
thou gavest me." The word, then, was handed down 
from God to Christ and from Christ to the apostles, 
and then comes to the evangelists, such as Timothy, 
Titus, and others. Paul, writing to Timothy, said, 
" Preach the word ; " and, " The things that thou hast 
heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit 
thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others 
also." Then the word was handed down from God to 
Christ, from Christ to the apostles, from the apostles 
to Timothy, and from Timothy to faithful men, bring- 
ing the same word right on down until now ; and it is 
by the word that men and women are converted to the 
Lord Jesus Christ, and I am glad to know that we can 
come by that word. 

I can remember very well how I was converted to 
Christ. It was not by some irresistible operation of 
the Spirit, but it was by the Spirit through the word 
that God had selected, the medium that God had se- 
lected, the medium that took years to be brought about. 
I remember when I began to study the word, when it 



Jacob's Ladder. 237 

impressed me, when it began to grind on my conscience, 
when I began to see how miserable I was and what a 
wicked boy I was. The burden kept getting heavier, 
and ringing in my ears was the statement : " Come 
unto me, . . . and I will give you rest." I knew 
that was the only place to find rest, so I began getting 
ready to make my start to become a child of God. I 
started in the right way. In coming to the Lord Jesus 
Christ, as' I said before, I came by the word. That is 
the way it is, and there is no other way for us to come. 

Now, I want to illustrate the different things that 
the sinner must do in order that he may come to Christ. 
I have already taken a good long while, but there are 
several things I want to say before I am through with 
this lesson. 

Since the sinner comes by the word of God, what is 
necessary in order that he may come to the Lord Jesus 
Christ? We come, my friends, by hearing and learn- 
ing of the Father. Now, then, we read Heb. 11: 6: 
" But without faith it is impossible to please him : for 
he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that 
he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." 
Then faith is necessary and man must believe in order 
to be saved. The next thing is repentance, because Je- 
sus said : " Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise per- 
ish." (Luke 13 : 3, 5.) Jesus said : '' Whosoever there- 
fore shall confess me before men, him will I confess 
also before my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 
10: 32.) The next thing, then, is to be baptized; then 
he comes into Christ, where God will meet him, because 



238 Jacob's Ladder. 

Jesus said : '* He that believeth and is baptized shall 
be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned/' 
Did you ask if the Bible says we must be baptized? 
Yes, I said it, or I can say it, whether I did or not. 
Let me see if I can think of the passage. O, yes ; I re- 
member now. Jesus told Paul to go on to Damascus, 
and there it would be told him what he viitst do. Now, 
we can follow him to Damascus and find out what it 
was that he must do. Ananias went in, according to 
the command of the Lord, to tell Paul what to do. 
When he came in, he found Paul praying; but he told 
him to arise and be baptized. So to be baptized was 
what he must do. The Bible also says : '' Except ye 
repent, ye shall all likewise perish.'' Did I hear you 
ask: *' Does the Bible say, ' Except ye be baptized? ' " 
Well, yes, it says that. Here it is. Jesus says : '* Ex- 
cept a man be born of water and of the Spirit." So 
in order to come to Christ w^e must believe, repent, con- 
fess, and be baptized for the remission of sins. 

But let me make this argument, and then I will be 
through. Paul says : " With the heart man believeth 
unto righteousness." " Unto " is in the direction of. 
In Acts 11 it is said that God has granted repentance 
unto life. So repentance is " unto." " Unto " is in the 
direction of. Read Rom. 10 : 10 : '' With the mouth 
confession is made unto salvation." So the confession 
is " unto," and *' unto " means in the direction of. 

But now we come to the next one, which is baptism. 
Paul says : "As many of you as have been baptized into 
Christ." Now, if baptism is not essential to salvation 



Jacob's Ladder. 239 

or essential to coming to Christ, why is it that it is 
'' believe unto/' '' repent unto/' " confess unto/' but 
when it comes to baptism it is " baptized into'i '' The 
salvation or rest is in Christ, and we get it after we 
come to him, and not before. 

Sinner, think of the invitation, '' Come unto me/' 
The invitation is to all. The Spirit says, "Come;" 
the bride says, '' Come ; " and then '' whosoever will " 
may come. Now, the question for you to settle to-night 
is, Will you come ? 



WHY I AM NOT A '' CAMPBELLITE.'' 



Sermon Number Fifteen. 



The subject which I have announced for to-night is 
one that I consider of much importance. There is 
hardly a subject that I could take up but what some 
religious people believe in it just as we do; but when 
it comes to this subject, we are alone. The Methodists 
believe like we do on the subject of apostasy; the Bap- 
tists believe like we do on the action of baptism ; some 
people believe like we do on the design of baptism ; but 
on the subject for to-night we stand alone. If we are 
right, all of these people who oppose us are wrong ; but 
if we are wrong on the question, we are awfully wrong. 
The question, then, is : Is it true? We will see. 

We are forced to talk on this question many times 
from the fact that many people say that we should 
rightly be called '' Campbellites; '' and notwithstand- 
ing the fact that we fight against it and hold out tena- 
ciously that we should not wear the name, they will 
still insist that we are '' Campbellites,'' and some refuse 
to call us anything else; so we must give a reason why 
we do not wish to be called such, and then all honest 
people will cease to call us " Campbellites.'' Many peo- 
ple use the name '' Campbellite " in derision. Some 
people use it because they do not know any better. 
Once in a while some brother will say : " I am a Camp- 



242 Jacob's Ladder. 

bellite." He uses it in fun, but I am not a *' Campbell- 
ite '' even in fun. It is better not to use the term at 
all if we can prevent it, and then the others will not 
have the least excuse for calling us that. I have known 
many preachers to " roll the name under their tongues 
as a sweet morsel." I have met some men in debate 
who spend a great deal of their time in using the name 
'' Campbellite.'' Some do it because they think they 
will stir up anger. 

Now, if there is such a thing in existence as a 
" Campbellite Church,'' then there are certain things 
that a man must do to be a member of that church and 
be a '' Campbellite." I will bring out those things in 
the course of my remarks to-night. It is not such an 
awful thing to be called a '' Campbellite " if we want 
to wear human names, and think, like some, that the 
name has nothing to do with it. But we have good 
reasons for not wanting to be called by such names as 
"Campbellite," "Methodist," "Baptist," "Mormon," 
etc. 

First, I will show you that there is something in a 
name, then give you a dissertation on the name we 
should wear, and then I will give you one well-rounded 
reason why we are not " Campbellites." I hope that all 
who hear this sermon will realize the good reason we 
have for not wearing that name, and will help us in 
letting others know of the reasons. Again, we will ex- 
pect all honest people to refrain from calling us 
" Campbellite " as soon as they learn better. 

When many historians refer to us, they do not call 



Jacob's Ladder. 243 

us " Campbellites/' but say that we are so called or 
that we are vulgarly called '' Campbellites/' I am not 
talking about little prejudiced historians who will re- 
fuse to tell the facts, but write from prejudice instead 
of information. 

But let me prove that there is something in a name. 
It is quite a favorite theme with some to contend that 
there is nothing in a name. Those who contend thus 
are those who are wearing names of ordinances, pres- 
byteries, methods, and founders of the denominations 
to which they belong. They realize that if there is any- 
thing in a name, they are wrong in their practice; so 
they contend that there is nothing in a name. Some 
say it does not matter what name we wear, we will all 
finally be saved, anyhow. Then my first duty is to 
show that there is something in a name. If I should 
meet a man who argues that there is nothing in a name 
and call him " Fido/' do you think he would think 
that there is anything in a name? Would he have any 
right to get mad about it, according to his theory? 

There is no standpoint from which we could view 
the question and prove that there is nothing in a name. 
I have often heard the expression: "A rose smells just 
as sweet by one name as it does by another.'' That 
is true, but it does not prove that there is nothing in a 
name. There is a certain name given that rose, and it 
is called by that name. If I misrepresent the matter, 
that does not change the rose ; and I am glad to know 
that is true, for people call us '' Campbellites," but 
that does not make it so. If I should call a rose by some 



244 Jacob's Ladder. 

other name than its right name, that would not change 
the scent of the rose, but I would misrepresent it. 

Suppose there is a man in this congregation whose 
name is '*Jones,'' and suppose he is away from home, 
like I am; suppose when he goes home his wife tells 
him that she has changed her name and undertakes 
to give her reasons for it ; would Mr. Jones think there 
is anything in a name? Mr. Jones would not care if 
there were Joneses on every corner, he would want his 
wife to be called "Jones.'' So that proves that there 
is something in a name. How could we write or talk 
without using names? Think about it. Then tell me 
there is nothing in a name ! I once heard of a preacher 
who spent one hour trying to prove to his congrega- 
tion that there is nothing in a name. At the close of 
his sermon he put on the '' rousements," and one of his 
sisters began to shout, saying : '' Glory, glory to King 
Beelzebub ! " The preacher tapped her on the shoul- 
der and said : " My sister, you are using the wrong 
name; you are talking about the devil." She did not 
pay any attention to him, but continued : " There is 
nothing in a name, anyhow. Glory to King Beelze- 
bub ! " He made one convert to his theory and then 
tried to proselyte her. Now, if there had been noth- 
ing in a name, it would have made no difference. 

Now, if there is nothing in a name, there is no use 
to spend time talking about it; but if there is anything 
in a name, there is much in it, and it should be well 
considered. 

I will view this lesson from a standpoint of personal 



Jacob's Ladder. 245 

names, using Bible characters. Take the names 
'*Adam," " Noah/' "Abraham." Every name carries 
with it certain ideas. The name **Adam " refreshes in 
our memory the morn of creation ; the name " Noah " 
reminds us of the ark, the flood, and the eight right- 
eous persons ; and the name "Abraham '' reminds us 
of God's promise that in the seed of Abraham all na- 
tions should be blessed. We are also reminded of his 
wonderful character, and remember that he is called 
"the father of the faithful.'' I could not speak of 
Adam as " the grandfather of Jacob." This is enough 
to show there is something in a name. 

Now let me view it from a denominational stand- 
point and prove that there is something in a name. 
Take the names " Mormon," "Adventist," and " Chris- 
tian." The only way that the name " Christian " is 
used as a denominational name is that it denominates 
every one who is a child of God from the world. The 
other names are used in the sense of organizations. 
The name " Christian " is used individually, but not 
collectively. The other two names, " Mormon " and 
"Adventist," are used individually and collectively. 
We speak of Adventists collectively as the "Advent- 
ist Church," of Mormons collectively as the " Mor- 
mon Church," but we speak of Christians col- 
lectively as the " church of Christ." The name " Mor- 
mon " carries with it certain ideas. When the name 
is used, we at once think of the different doctrines 
taught by those people. I have heard the name "Ad- 
ventist " used, and it always makes me think of the 



246 Jacob's Ladder. 

doctrines of Adventism concerning the second advent of 
Christ, etc. When the name " Christian " is used, we 
think of the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The 
Adventist hobby is the second coming of Christ, and 
so they call themselves ''Adventists." The hobby of 
that class of people who call themselves " Latter-Day 
Saints " is so called because their doctrine has origi- 
nated in late years, and they are called ** Mormon " 
from the " Book of Mormon." The hobby of a Chris- 
tian man is Christ, and he thinks so much of Christ 
that he is called a '' Christian " and claims to be a 
member of the church of Christ. We wear the name 
of " Christ," and we refuse to wear any other nam.e 
from a religious standpoint. This is more proof that 
there is something in a name. 

There is a reason for all names. I may not know 
about the origin of all names, but I do know about the 
origin of some. For instance, the name *' Bates ville " — 
it is the name of a town where I once lived. Without 
knowing anything about how the name originated, I 
can imagine several families living on the hill on White 
River, and their name is '' Bates." It was at that time 
growing into a small village ; and when the name was 
given, it was called '' Batesville " or '' a vill of Bates." 
The city where I now live is called '* Little Rock," but 
1 have not yet learned why. I once held a meeting at 
a place called " Eight Mile." It derived its name from 
a creek called '' Eight Mile," from the length, it being 
just eight miles long. 

A letter came to the post office at Burke, Texas, about 



Jacob's Ladder. 247 

twenty years ago, addressed, " To the Elders of the 
Church of Christ." A certain preacher of the town 
came in and called for his mail, and the postmaster 
handed him this letter. He looked at it for a few sec- 
onds and then handed it back to the postmaster, say- 
ing : " This isn't mine, and you know it. It belongs 
to those people who call themselves ' Christians,' but 
who should be called ' Campbellites ; ' and, for my part, 
that is what they are. I am not going to unchristian- 
ize myself by calling them ' Christians.' I wish they 
would change their name so they can be distinguished 
from other Christians." The very idea of a man un- 
christianizing himself by calling some other man a 
'' Christian! " How can that be done? How can I 
unchristianize a man who is a Christian? And, I might 
say, how can I unchristianize a man who is not a Chris- 
tian ? Some people talk as if they thought we had the 
name " Christian " patented, and that we will not let 
them wear it. That is not true. The reason other peo- 
ple do not wear the name *' Christian " is because they 
do not believe there is anything in a name. Who has 
prohibited their wearing the name? Of course they 
may not have a Bible right to wear the name, but that 
is not the question. They do not want to wear it, or 
they would do it. 

But let me give you some more proof that there is 
something in a name. In the beginning God formed 
man and placed him in the garden. God called the gar- 
den " Eden," and he called the man "Adam." " Eden " 
means '' delight; " so we can see a good reason for the 



248 Jacob's Ladder. 

name in that connection. He called the man's name 
''Adam." We are told that he was called "Adam " be- 
cause he was made out of dust or dirt. The very fact 
that God named Adam is enough to prove that there 
is something in a name. 

The Lord took a rib from Adam's side and made a 
woman, who was to be his wife. What was her name? 
The Bible says that Adam called his wife's name 
'' Eve," because she was the mother of all living. So 
Adam had a reason for calling his wife's name " Eve." 
Did she not have another name? Yes. If you should 
come to my house and I should introduce you to my 
wife, would you not call her '' Mrs. Borden? " Then, 
according to that. Eve's name must have been ''Adam." 
But let us see what the Bible says about it. Read Gen. 
5:2:" Male and female created he them ; and blessed 
them, and called their name Adam." They were called 
"Adam " in the day they were created. They were 
" Mr. and Mrs. Adam." Now, if there had been noth- 
ing in a name, why do all this? Then there is the ex- 
ample given for the woman to wear the husband's name, 
and it has been kept up until this day. That was the 
first family name. Other names originated later. All 
who were in the ark were " Noahs." There is just one 
great family name to-day, and we will find out what 
it is before the sermon is finished. 

Later in the history of man we come across a man 
whose name is "Abram." He is a very noted charac- 
ter. God told him to get out of his own country and go 
into a strange land that he would show him. He also 



Jacob's Ladder. 249 

promised him that he would make of him a great na- 
tion and bless him and make his name great, and he 
should be a blessing. He also promised him that in his 
seed should all nations be blessed. After that, God 
changed his name from **Abram '' to "Abraham," and 
gave as a reason that he was to be the father of many 
nations. If there had been nothing in a name, why 
did God change his name? Why not just leave it like 
it was ? 

Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. Ishmael 
was of the bondwoman and Isaac was of the free 
woman. God promised Abraham that Ishmael should 
be a great man and that he should be the father of 
twelve princes, but he said his covenant would be with 
Isaac. Isaac had two sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob 
had twelve sons. These twelve sons were the ones to 
inherit the land of Canaan and receive the promises of 
God. These sons and their generations became a great 
nation. But were they called "Jacobites," after Ja- 
cob? No, but Jacob's name was changed from "Jacob " 
to " Israel." The name "Jacob " was a human name ; 
but God did not see fit to allow them to wear that name, 
so he called Jacob by another name. That should be 
evidence enough to us that God does not want his peo- 
ple to wear "just any old name." In speaking the name 
" Israel " they spoke the name of " God," which I will 
prove by reading Deut. 28 : 10 : "And all people of the 
earth shall see that thou art called by the nam.e of the 
Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee." This shows 
that they were called by " the name of the Lord," and 



250 Jacob's Ladder. 

" the name of the Lord '' by which they were called 
was " Israel.'' Now, is this not enough to prove that 
there is something in a name? 

Now, who wore the name ''Israel?" Only those 
who were the natural descendants of Jacob. That in- 
cluded the Israelites only. Now, since the middle wall 
has been broken down between the Jews and Gentiles 
and the Gentiles are admitted, are they to also be called 
'' Israelites? " Certainly not, for we are not the nat- 
ural descendants of Jacob. Then what are the Gen- 
tiles to be called ? Now, since we do not belong to any 
of the twelve tribes of Israel, we are all Gentiles in 
that sense, and there must be a name for us. Now, 
what is it? Read Isa. 62: 2: '' The Gentiles shall see 
thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory; and thou 
shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the 
Lord shall name." Listen: " By a new name." Who? 
The Israelites. They w^ere to be the first converted, 
and the new name was to be given to them, and the 
Gentiles were to be in the number of those who wear 
that name. Now, what is to be done with their old 
name? Were they to still continue to wear it? Lis- 
ten to Isa. 65 : 15 : '' Ye shall leave your name for a 
curse unto my chosen : for the Lord God shall slay thee, 
and call his servants by another name." Then they are 
not to wear the old name, but are to have another one. 
Now, how long is this new name to stand? It is to 
stand forever. Isa. 66 : 22 says : ''As the new heavens 
and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain be- 
fore me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your 
name remain." Then the new name is to last forever. 



Jacob's Ladder. 251 

Some people get the idea that in Isa. 62 : 2, where it 
speaks of a new name, it refers to the name " Hephzi- 
bah '' that is used in this connection. But no one can 
prove it. He first says : " Thou shalt be called by a new 
name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name." In 
the next verse it says : '' Thou shalt also.'' All that fol- 
lows in this connection is in addition to the new name. 
So the name '' Hephzibah " is not the new name; but, 
in addition to the new name, the church will be called 
'' Hephzibah," which means '' my delight is in her." 
Now, the question is : When were they called by that 
name? Notice Isa. 62: 2 again: "The Gentiles shall 
see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory : and thou 
shalt be called by a new name." Then the new name 
is to be given after the Gentiles have seen the right- 
eousness of God and the kings have seen the glory. 
When did that take place? The kings of the earth did 
not see the glory of God until the day of Pentecost, 
when it was revealed from on high that Christ was 
crowned in heaven. But the Gentiles must also see 
the glory of God. When did that take place? Was not 
Cornelius the first Gentile convert to the Christian re- 
ligion? Where is it recorded? In Acts 10. After that 
time, then, the new name was given. 

Now, remember that God was to give this name. 
Now, since it was not given until after Jesus had gone 
back into heaven and after the conversion of the first 
Gentile to Christianity, through whom did God give 
the name, or did he give the name direct? Well, let us 
see. God at this time was doing his work through me- 



252 Jacob's Ladder. 

dium. Now, I believe Paul was the one chosen to bear 
that name, but I am going to let the Bible speak. When 
the Lord appeared to Ananias and had told him to go 
and tell Paul what to do, Ananias said : " Lord, I have 
heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath 
done to thy saints at Jerusalem : and here he hath au- 
thority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy 
name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way : for 
he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before 
the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel,'' 
What did Isaiah say? '' The Gentiles shall see thy 
righteousness, and all kings thy glory : and thou shalt 
be called by a new name.'' Paul was chosen to bear 
the name to those very persons. So Paul was the one 
to bear the name to the Gentiles, kings, and the chil- 
dren of Israel. 

Now let me quote the passage again : " The Gentiles 
shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: 
and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the 
mouth of the Lord shall name." Have the kings seen 
the glory of God? The answer is, " Yes." Have the 
Gentiles seen the righteousness ? The answer is, "Yes." 
Now, has the other part of the prophecy been fulfilled? 
If so, there is a new name. Now the question is: 
What is that new name? Any name that was used be- 
fore the conversion of Cornelius was not the new name, 
for it was not to be given until after the conversion 
of the Gentiles, or after they were admitted. Now, 
since Paul is the one chosen to bear the name and it was 
to be given after the conversion of Cornelius, we must 



Jacob's Ladder. 253 

look this side of Acts 10 for the new name. And 
think about it — when we find it, it will be a name that 
was never used before! 

Now, in order to make this as plain as possible, I 
have illustrated it on the blackboard. Notice, I have 

written the names of cities — '' Phenice," " Cyprus,'' | 

'* Cyrene," "Jerusalem," and " Tarsus." Now, this dia- | 

gram as I have it on the board will not appear in the ] 
book, but it would be a good idea for all who read the 

book to make a diagram of this before you read any \ 
further. Take a tablet or an ordinary piece of paper 

and write "Antioch " in the right-hand top corner; I 

then write '' Phenice," " Cyprus," " Cyrene," and "Je- i 

rusalem " at different places from the center to the \ 

right-hand of the paper, about two or three inches be- | 

low the spot where you have placed "Antioch ; " then \ 

over to the left, about three inches from "Antioch," | 

write "Tarsus." Have you finished the diagram? | 

Well, we are now ready for the argument. | 

The conversion of Cornelius is recorded in Acts 10, ] 
and I will begin reading from Acts 11 : 18. Now, this 
is just after the conversion of Cornelius. Now, let me 

read : " When they heard these things, they held their i 

peace, and glorified God, saying. Then hath God also | 
to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." These 

people are just beginning to find this out, and they are ! 

speaking about the Gentiles coming in. Now listen: « 

" Now they which were scattered abroad upon the \ 

persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far | 

as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch." (The reader \ 



254 Jacob's Ladder. 

can draw marks from the different places that are men- 
tioned to ''Antioch/') Now listen: "Some of them 
were men of Cyprus and Cyrene/' Then there were in 
Antioch representatives from Phenice, Cyprus, and 
Cyrene. Now we read again : " Then tidings of these 
things came unto the ears of the church which was in 
Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he 
should go as far as Antioch." Now, here is a repre- 
sentative from Jerusalem, the birthplace of the church 
of Christ. Now we see the people assembled there 
from the different points I have mentioned. Now, since 
these are assembled there, would that not be a good 
place for them to be called by that new name? Well, 
what is in the way? The Gentiles were to see the right- 
eousness of God, and that has been fulfilled. The kings 
were to see the glory, and that has been fulfilled. These 
people have assembled there. Now listen : If Paul 
was chosen to bear the name, as I have proved, then 
he must be there in order for the name to be given. 
Paul lived at Tarsus. (You have '' Tarsus " on your 
chart, to the left of ** Antioch.") Now, if we needed 
a man as they needed Paul, what would we have done? 
We would have gone to the telephone and said : " Hello, 
Central! Give me long distance." Central connects 
me with long distance, and I begin to talk : '* Hello ! 
Come on the next train," etc. But at that time they did 
not have any telephones, telegraph wires, railroads, or 
things like that. The only way they could do was to 
send a man. Well, what was done ? Let us see. Read- 
ing on : *' Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to 



Jacob's Ladder. 255 

seek Saul: and when he had found him, he brought 
him unto Antioch." So everything is now ready. The 
kings have seen the glory, the Gentiles have seen the 
righteousness of God, the brethren have assembled at 
Antioch, and they have sent for Paul, who was chosen 
to bear the name. Everything is now ready. Now, 
what is the name ? I will now read the whole verse and 
see what it is : 

"And when he had found him, he brought him unto 
Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they 
assembled themselves with the church, and taught much 
people. And the disciples were called Christians first 
in Antioch.'' 

Think if it — ^the first time the name was ever used ! 
Now, is it not strange that all this time they had been 
following Christ, yet no one volunteered to call them 
'' Christians " until that time? The everlasting word 
of God was out that it should be fulfilled at that time ; 
so the name was never used before. The name '' Chris- 
tian " is the new name. It was never used before. 
Now listen: That prophecy has been fulfilled. Now, 
if the name " Christian '' is not the new name, will 
some one please tell me what it is? It is a name that 
the Jews and Gentiles can wear. 

Peter says : " If any man suffer as a Christian, let 
him not be asham.ed, but let him glorify God in this 
behalf.'' When Paul made his speech before King 
Agrippa, the old king said: "Almost thou persuadest 
me to be a Christian." Paul said : " I would to God, 
that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day. 



256 Jacob's Ladder. 

were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except 
these bonds/' In this Paul admitted that he was a 
Christian, and wanted the rest of those people to be 
such as he was. There is no other name under heaven 
given among men whereby we must be saved. In Eph. 
3: 15 Paul speaks of the whole family in heaven and 
on earth being called by one name. Who is this family? 
Remember, at the beginning of the meeting I told you 
of a number of people who arose after the resurrec- 
tion of Christ. There were one hundred and forty- 
four thousand. Who were they? They were Jews, or 
Israelites. Are they called '^Israelites'' now? No. 
Their name was changed. They are now reigning with 
Christ and are wearing his name. So the whole fam- 
ily, in heaven and on earth, are Christians. Every 
man to-day who is a child of God, whether he be in 
heaven, in the intermediate state, or on earth, is a 
Christian. But Isaiah says that this name will stand 
forever. While we are in the flesh, we are Christians ; 
after we go to the intermediate state, we will be Chris- 
tians; and after we get to heaven, we will be Chris- 
tians, if we have lived faithful. We give up all human 
names, but we do not have to give up the name " Chris- 
tian." 

But I promised to give a well-rounded reason why 
I am not a " Campbellite." I will do that, and then my 
lesson will be done. The brethren at Corinth were say- 
ing: " I of Paul," " I of ApoUos," " I of Cephas," etc. 
In other words, they were calling themselves " Paul- 
ites," '' Cephasites," and "ApoUosites." Paul told theni 



Jacob's Ladder. 257 

they were carnal and walked as men. Then he asked 
them: '' Were you baptized in the name of Paul? was 
Paul crucified for you?'' That leaves the impression 
that they were to wear the name of the one who was 
crucified for them and the one in whose name they had 
been baptized. So the proper thing to do was to say : 
" I am a Christian." Any one can see that if he will 
just look. 

Now, if it was wrong for them to call themselves 
'' Paulites/' would it not be wrong for me to call my- 
self a '' Campbellite? " But listen: I was not bap- 
tized in the name of Ca7nphell, neither was he cruci- 
fied for me; therefore I am not a Campbellite!!! 

Now I have given you my reason for not calling my- 
self a " Campbellite " and my reasons for wearing the 
name " Christian." Now, is there one here to-night 
who would like to wear that name ? If so, will you obey 
His commands and in so doing be married to Him ? 



"WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?'' 



Written Sermon Number One. 



No man can realize the import of this question like 
the man who is beginning to realize that he is a sinner. 
When a man sees the need of salvation, he is inter- 
ested in the question and also in the answer. 

The question is a Bible question. It is there in so 
many words, and the answer is plainly given. The 
question is asked several times, but not always in the 
words that are used above. 

It is not a question as to what some one else must 
do, or what " they '' will think about it if we do, 
but, '' What must I do?'' It is an individual matter. 
Every man must answer for himself at the judgment 
bar of God. No man can be saved on the obedience 
and faith of another. Every sinner must believe and 
obey for himself. Some people would become Chris,- 
tians if it was popular. 

Whatever the answer to the great question may be, 
it is something that onjist be done, for the question is : 
''What mitst I do to be saved?" Then it is some- 
thing that each individual must do in order to be saved. 
Now, are you willing to accept that? If so, I will pro- 
ceed to find the answer. I will not ask the different 
clergymen in the world, but I will consult the Bible, 
for then the answer will be correct. 



260 Jacob's Ladder. 

There are many people in the world who would be 
saved if the Lord would allow them to make the plan. 
They do not seem to realize that we should obey the 
Lord instead of man ; and, then, God's ways are so far 
above our ways and his thoughts are above our 
thoughts. 

Some people seem to think that the enlightened age 
needs a different plan of salvation — one " more in 
keeping with the times," or, as it is sometimes ex- 
pressed, " a more up-to-date plan." Now listen : If 
the Lord wants his plan changed, let him do it. For my 
part, I am going to take what the Book says and preach 
the plan as I find it laid down in the word of God. 
I realize that it is not popular; and, in fact, it never 
was popular with some people. But there are always 
a faithful few who are willing to take the Book for 
what it says and obey the Lord's commands. 

I suppose that all of my readers are other than the 
natural descendants of Jacob. Then in that sense we 
would be called '' Gentiles." When John the Baptist 
came, he came to the apostate Israelites and com- 
manded them to repent toward God and believe in the 
Lord Jesus Christ. He also commanded them to be 
baptized for the remission of sins. When Jesus began 
his ministry, he preached to the Israelites only. When 
he selected the twelve and sent them out, he said to 
them : " Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into 
any city of the Samaritans enter ye not : but go rather 
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." This com- 
mission continued until the death of Christ. The next 



Jacob's Ladder. 261 

commission was given after the death of Christ, about 
ten days before the day of Pentecost. Just before Je- 
sus ascended into heaven he called the apostles around 
him and told them to go into all the world and preach 
the gospel to every creature ; but he told them to wait 
until they had been endued with power from on high. 
They did not receive that power until the day of Pen- 
tecost. 

So the plan of salvation to all nations did not begin 
until the day of Pentecost. Now, if I want to find out 
what the Gentile must do to be saved, must I not come 
to the new law, or this side of the cross? Remember, 
the middle wall between the Jews and Gentiles was not 
broken down until Jesus died, and the Gentiles were 
made near by the blood of Christ. 

Some insist on looking to the personal minstry of 
Christ for the plan of salvation to the Gentiles, when 
there is no plan to them until we come this side of the 
death of Christ. In fact, the plan of salvation to all 
nations did not begin until the day of Pentecost. 

In Matt. 19 there is a record given of a young man 
who came to Jesus and asked him : " What good thing 
shall I do, that I may have eternal life? '^ If you re- 
member, Jesus said to him : " Thou shalt do no mur- 
der. Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not 
steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Honor thy 
father and thy mother : and, Thou shalt love thy neigh- 
bor as thyself.'' The young man answered: "All these 
things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I 
yet?" The young man seemed to think there must 



262 Jacob's Ladder. 

be something else for him to do, and he thought 
Jesus could give him the information. Then Jesus 
said unto him: '' If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell 
that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt 
have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.'' 
The record tells us that the young man went away sor- 
rowful, for he had great riches. 

The reason Jesus told him to keep the law was be- 
cause the law was yet in force. The reason Jesus told 
him to sell what he had was because that was for his 
present good. It was not so required in the law, nor is 
it required in the gospel. But in that lesson is pic- 
tured before our minds how men will love their money 
and put their trust in it. Now listen : If we must take 
the personal ministry of Christ and the different cases 
of repentance for a standard of conversion to-day, why 
not take this one? The fact is, this man was a mem- 
ber of the Jewish church. He had apostatized, and 
now Jesus was telling him what it took, to get back. 
That was not a standard. 

Another man who had the palsy was brought in for 
Jesus to heal. Jesus first said to him : " Thy sins be 
forgiven thee." The people complained because Jesus 
claimed to be able to forgive or cause sins to be for- 
given. But he healed the man of the disease. There 
are many others, but they were Jews, or apostate Is- 
raelites. These are not sample cases of conversion, but 
cases of people being prepared for the ushering in of 
the new covenant. In figurative language Jesus placed 
the matter before Nicodemus; but it was made plain 



Jacob's Ladder. 263 

after the plan of salvation was ushered in. They were 
still under the covenant where there was no actual re- 
mission of sins, for their sins were only remembered 
for a time under that law and finally blotted out by 
the blood of Christ. 

The will, or testament, of Christ was not in force 
while he was here, for he said himself : " I came not 
to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.'' 
Paul says : "A testament is of force after men are dead : 
otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testatoi 
liveth.'' The testament of Christ was not in force un- 
til after the death of Christ. We are to-day under the 
testament of Christ; so we must come this side of the 
cross to find the will of Christ and our duty to him un- 
der that will, or testament. 

Many people refer to the thief on the cross as a sam- 
ple case of conversion. Some go so far as to say they 
want to be saved just like the thief. Well, as far as 
God's part of it is concerned, the thief came under the 
law and was redeemed by the blood of Christ when the 
atonement was made in heaven. It has nothing to do 
with salvation under the new covenant, for the will of 
Christ was not in force until after his death. 

Now we come this side of the cross. There was noth- 
ing done in the way of preaching the gospel from the 
death of Christ until the day of Pentecost. On that 
day the Holy Spirit came from on high and declared 
through the apostles the ascension and coronation of 
Christ. Peter at first showed that the occurrence on 
that day was a fulfillment of the statements made by 



264 Jacob's Ladder. 

the prophets, and that the one who had been crucified 
a few days before was now made both Lord and Christ. 

The first sermon in the Christian dispensation was 
preached on the day of Pentecost, in the city of Jerusa- 
lem. The multitude came together to know what the 
excitement was. Peter arose and preached the sermon 
that is recorded in Acts 2. There were Jews out of 
every nation under heaven, and three thousand became 
interested and inquired what to do to be saved. Pe- 
ter, as he was guided by the Holy Spirit, said unto 
them : '' Repent, and be baptized every one of you in 
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.'' 
They that gladly received the word spoken by Peter 
were baptized, and on that day three thousand were 
added to the number. And now, before I leave this, let 
me say, in the language of the Holy Spirit : '' The Lord 
added to the church daily such as should be saved.'' 

So the answer to the question was : " Repent, and 
be baptized." Can any one deny that and yet believe 
the Bible? Does that mean that a person is saved 
without being baptized? Certainly not. 

But now let us take another case of conversion. The 
next I will introduce is the conversion of the jailer. 
On account of a misrepresentation Paul and Silas had 
been put in the prison. They were not placed in the 
prison like an ordinary prisoner, but like a very vile 
criminal. They were placed in the inner prison, and 
their feet were made fast in the stocks. The jailer 
had been commanded to keep them safely, and he knew 
what that meant. After the jailer placed them in the 



Jacob's Ladder. 265 

inner prison and had made their feet fast in the stocks, 
he felt that they were there to stay. '' Listen, do you 
hear those prisoners singing? " was possibly spoken 
by some of the prisoners in the outer cells. In the si- 
lence of night Paul and Silas were singing praises unto 
God. All at once the great earthquake came, and the 
foundation of the prison was shaken, their bands were 
all loosed, the prison doors were opened, and the jailer, 
waking out of his sleep and looking out, saw the prison 
doors open. He drew out his sword and was just about 
to kill himself, when Paul said : '' Do thyself no harm : 
for we are all here.'' The jailer called for a light, and 
came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas, 
and said: " Sirs, what must I do to be saved? " The 
answer was : " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Then the jailer 
took Paul and Silas, '' and washed their stripes ; and 
w^as baptized, he and all his, straightway." I will say 
more about this later ; so I will leave it for the present, 
Saul was a great m.an among the Jews. He was 
strong in his belief and was fighting for it. He had 
letters of authority to go to Damascus and bring the 
worshipers of Christ bound to Jerusalem. He was on 
his way to Damascus, when there was a great light 
shone about him. That light was not ordinary, but 
so bright that it caused him to go blind. He fell to the 
ground and said: ''Who art thou. Lord?" And the 
Lord said unto him : " I am Jesus whom thou persecut- 
est." I am satisfied that this was one of the trying 
times in the life of Paul. There must have been great 



266 Jacob's Ladder. 

fear and excitement connected with his words when 
he said: '' Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? '' He 
was told to go on to Damascus, where it would be told 
him what he iniist do. Notice, when he finds what to 
do, it will be what he mitst do. He is led by the hand 
until he comes to Damascus, where he is praying when 
Ananias comes in. Ananias did not tell him to pray on, 
as some preachers would have told him if it had been 
at this day and age of the world; but he told him to 
arise and be baptized: "Arise, and be baptized, and 
wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." 
Now, who would be so ignorant as to claim that Paul 
was saved by baptism alone? Arise and be baptized 
is what he miist do, for that was what Ananias told 
him to do. 

I want to mention one more conversion. The eunuch 
was riding in his chariot on his way back from Jeru- 
salem, where he had been to worship. He had been 
somewhat disturbed on not finding things in Jerusalem 
as he perhaps expected. He was reading the prophecy 
of Isaiah concerning Christ, and was in a fine condition 
of mind to have the gospel preached unto him. The 
Spirit of the Lord told Philip to go to this place, where 
he would meet the eunuch; and when he came up to 
where he was, he heard him reading the prophecy con- 
cerning Christ; and being governed by the Spirit, he 
began at the same scripture and preached Christ. In 
this he told him about the death, burial, and resurrec- 
tion of Christ, as well as the conditions of salvation. 
As they were riding along the way, they came unto a 



Jacob's Ladder. 267 

certain water, and the eunuch said: '' See, here is wa- 
ter ; what doth hinder me to be baptized? '' And Philip 
said unto him : ** If thou belie vest with all thine heart, 
thou mayest/' The eunuch confessed his faith in 
Christ, and then they went down into the water, and 
Philip baptized him. 

Now, I have noticed four cases of conversion; but 
they have all been Israelites. I want to bring in one 
more now, and that is Cornelius. He was the first Gen- 
tile convert. Now, did he have to do the same as the 
others ? The plan is the same to all. There is not one 
plan to the Gentiles and one to the Jews. After Peter 
was thoroughly convinced that he should go to the Gen- 
tiles and when he entered into the house of Cornelius, 
he said : " Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter 
of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, 
and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.'' 
Then, since the gospel is the same to all and God is no 
respecter of persons, I must say that the plan I have 
already given must be the plan for the house of Cor- 
nelius. In the sermon that he preached unto the house 
of Cornelius he reminded him that the gospel was the 
same as the gospel he preached to the Jews on the day 
of Pentecost. He reminded them that whosoever believ- 
eth on him, whether he be Jew or Gentile, he had a 
right to come to Christ and be saved. While Peter 
was preaching to them, the Holy Spirit fell on the house 
of Cornelius, and they were baptized with it. They 
spoke with tongues and magnified God. After the Holy 
Spirit had been poured out on them as it had on the 



268 Jacob's Ladder. 

apostles on the day of Pentecost, Peter said : '* Can any 
man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, 
which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" 
The baptism of the Holy Spirit did not save them. It 
was not poured out on them for that purpose. It was 
to convince those Jews who were with Peter that the 
Gentiles had a right to be converted and be baptized 
into the church of Christ. He commanded them to be 
baptized in the name of the Lord. Now, I want you to 
notice one thing here in particular, and that is that the 
baptism of the Holy Spirit was not a command, nei- 
ther on the day of Pentecost nor at the household of 
Cornelius; but after the baptism of the Spirit, Peter 
commanded Cornelius and his house to be baptized 
with water. 

I have briefly given each conversion; but now I 
will rehearse just a little. Some one is ready to ask: 
" Why were they not all commanded to do the same 
thing? '' For instance, when the jailer asked what 
to do, he was told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ ; 
the Pentecostans were commanded to repent and be 
baptized for the remission of sins ; Ananias told Paul 
to be baptized and wash his sins away; Cornelius was 
commanded to be baptized. Listen: The reason the 
Pentecostans were commanded to repent was because 
they had already believed, and so he told them to re- 
pent and be baptized. The reason the jailer was com- 
manded to believe was because he had never heard the 
word, and, therefore, was not a believer. So Paul com- 
manded him to believe. But he preached the word to 



Jacob's Ladder. 269 

him so he could believe. You remember I mentioned 
in another sermon in this book where Paul said that 
faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. 
Paul then preached the word to him in order that he 
might believe. After his faith, then, of course, he re- 
pented ; and the next thing was to be baptized, and that 
was done the same hour of the night. 

The reason Paul was commanded to be baptized was 
because he had already obeyed the other commands. 
He had believed and had repented, and he had also 
confessed the name of Christ ; and now there was only 
one thing left to do, and that was to be baptized. Just 
as soon as Ananias came in and realized Paul's condi- 
tion, he told him to arise and be baptized. But listen : 
Would this not have been a good time for Ananias to 
have practiced the modern mourner's-bench system of 
salvation? When he came in, he found Paul praying. 
Suppose he had said to him : " Now, Paul, you are do- 
ing the right thing. Just tell the Lord that you will 
just remain right here until he speaks peace to your 
soul. Just pray on, Saul ; you will get it after a while.'' 
Would the Lord have accepted that? No ; but he must 
arise and be baptized. He did not tell him to quit call- 
ing on the name of the Lord. It is natural for a peni- 
tent man to pray, and that is the reason Paul was 
praying, and it was not wrong for him to pray; but 
he must obey as well as pray. Jesus said : " Not every 
one that saith unto me. Lord, Lord, shall enter into the 
kingdom of heaven ; but he that doeth the will of my 
Father which is in heaven." Then a man must do more 
than pray. 



270 Jacob's Ladder. 

Then the plan of salvation is to believe, repent, con- 
fess, and be baptized for the remission of sins. Now, 
have we obeyed? That is the great question for us to 
decide. 



THE LAST RESURRECTION. 



Written Sermon Number Two. 



The expression, *' the last resurrection/' will be bet- 
ter understood when you read the sermon in this book 
on '* The First Resurrection.'' Please turn and read 
it. It will interest you. 

I want it distinctly understood that I do not expect 
to say all that can be said on this subject in this short 
lesson. The subject is a great one, and there are many 
arguments to make on it. There are many phases of it 
to be discussed. 

For thousands of years the question was a puzzling 
one. Many wondered about that mysterious region. 
It is even wonderful now and very mysterious, for there 
are many things that we do not know about it. The 
prophets said there would be a resurrection from the 
dead, but it seemed that the people did not believe it 
like they do now. Even Job asked : " If a man die, 
shall he live again? " 

Now, it may be when you have read these words you 
will say : " What there is of it is good, but he did not 
get to the point I wanted to know about." And it may 
be that I would like to know about the same part of it. 
I wish I understood all about it. Possibly I have made 
my wish too strong. Perhaps it is not for our good to 
know all about it ; we cannot tell about that. 



272 Jacob's Ladder. 

It was Adam who introduced death into the world, 
and it is Christ who redeems from that condition. The 
resurrection is unconditional on our part. "As in 
Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 
'' For since by man came death, by man came also the 
resurrection of the dead." This proves a universal res- 
urrection. All who die, die in Adam, and it is through 
the obedience of Christ that we are raised from the 
dead. Paul says that Christ *' became the first fruits 
of them that slept." He did not mean that Christ was 
the first fruits of a part of them that slept, but of all 
that slept. 

Job's question was not answered in full until Jesus 
arose from the dead and proved a resurrection possible. 
He made it possible for all to arise from the dead. Let 
me now call your attention to 1 Cor. 15 : 54, 55 : " So 
when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, 
and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then 
shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, 
Death is swallowed up in victory. death, where is 
thy sting? grave, where is thy victory?" Then 
the saying, '' Death is swallowed up in victory," will 
not be fulfilled unless all the dead are raised. If all 
the dead are not raised, how can we say : " O death, 
where is thy sting? grave, where is thy victory? " 
If a part of the dead remain in their graves, will not the 
grave be victorious over a part of the dead ? 

When the trump — yes, the '' last trump " — shall 
sound and all the dead shall be raised, then it can be 
said that the grave is not victorious over its dead ; and. 



Jacob's Ladder. 273 

realizing that to-day, we can say : '' death, where is 
thy sting? grave, where is thy victory? '' Jesus 
said: "All that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 
and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto 
the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, 
unto the resurrection of damnation." How can a man 
read this passage and then come to the conclusion that 
all will not be raised from the dead? *'A11 that are in 
the graves." Does that mean a part that are in the 
graves ? Certainly not. 

Some people argue that the wicked will not be raised 
from the dead, but we will see what the Bible says 
about it. Read Acts 24 : 15 : ''And have hope toward 
God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall 
be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and un- 
just.'' Then both the just and the unjust will be raised 
from the dead. Why do I believe it ? Because the Bi- 
ble says it. Is that not a good reason ? But here is an- 
other proof that both saint and sinner will be raised 
from the dead : "And I saw the dead, small and great, 
stand before God ; and the books were opened : and an- 
other book was opened, which is the book of life: 
and the dead were judged out of those things which 
were written in the books, according to their works. 
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and 
death and hell delivered up the dead which were in 
them: and they were judged every man according to 
their works." (Rev. 20: 12, 13.) Notice, the record 
says, " I saw the dead " — not a part of the dead. " The 
dead " refers to all the dead. If not, how many of the 



274 Jacob's Ladder. 

dead does it refer to ? Now listen : Of those who are 
raised from the dead, a part will be saved and a part 
will be lost. I will read the next verse: **And death 
and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the sec- 
ond death. And whosoever was not found written in 
the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Of those 
who are raised from the dead, there are some whose 
names are not written in the book of life and who will 
be cast into the lake of fire. 

In another part of the book I have proved that Christ 
is reigning now. How long is he to reign ? I will read 
the answer: '' For he must reign, till he hath put all 
enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be 
destroyed is death.'' The last enemy is death. The 
only way for him to put this enemy under his feet is 
to raise all from the dead. Let me read Isa. 25: 8: 
" He will swallow up death in victory ; and the Lord 
God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the 
rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all 
the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it." If all the 
dead are not raised, how can it be said that death is 
swallowed up in victory? In Rev. 20 : 5 we read : " But 
the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand 
years were finished. This is the first resurrection." 
There were some in the first resurrection, but "the 
rest of the dead " will be raised at the next resurrec- 
tion. Does not *' the rest of the dead " mean all that 
are left to be raised in the next resurrection? That 
includes all that are in their graves at the time of the 
general resurrection. 



Jacob's Ladder. 275 

Ps. 9 : 17 says : '' The wicked shall be turned into hell, 
and all the nations that forget God." How can the 
wicked be turned into hell with all nations that forget 
God, if the wicked are not raised from the dead ? 

There will be a certain class to stand before God 
who will say : '' Lord, have we not prophesied in thy 
name, and in thy name cast out devils, and in thy name 
done wonderful works?'' And Jesus will tell them: 
" Depart, ye workers of iniquity." That shows that 
these people will be raised from the dead. 

I could give other proof that the resurrection of the 
dead will be universal, but I have said enough on that 
question in this sermon. I will now look at other 
phases of this great question. 

Are There Two Resurrections in the Future? 

This part of the subject has been discussed a great 
deal — and that, too, by some very strong men. It may 
be that I am at variance with some of the positions you 
have heard, but I must tell that which I believe to be the 
truth. Now listen: I have failed to find the passage 
that tells me about two different resurrections in the 
future. I read of a resurrection at the end of time, 
and that is the only one that I read about. But you will 
find this more thoroughly discussed under the head- 
ing, " The First Resurrection." When Christ speaks 
of the resurrection, he speaks of it as one thing when 
he refers to the resurrection that is after his resurrec- 
tion, or, in other words, the one at the end of time. 
" Marvel not at this : for the hour is coming, in the 



276 Jacob's Ladder. 

which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 
and shall come forth/' Listen to what Paul says about 
it : " For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all 
be made alive. But every man in his own order : Christ 
the first fruits; afterwards they that are Christ's at 
his coming.'' This gives the order of the resurrection. 
The first is the resurrection of Christ and the saints, 
and the next is the final resurrection. It will take place 
at Christ's second coming. There is nothing said about 
two resurrections in the future. Some seem to have 
the idea that at the second coming of Christ there will 
be the first resurrection, and then there will be a thou- 
sand years' reign on earth, and then another resurrec- 
tion ; but listen to what Paul says : '' Then cometh the 
end/' After the resurrection at the second coming of 
Christ, " then cometh the end." Do you see any space 
for a thousand years' reign after the second coming 
of Christ? I do not, for then the end will come. " For 
he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his 
feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." 
Let me refer back now : " Then cometh the end, when 
he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even 
the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and 
all authority and power." Why will he deliver up the 
kingdom to God at his second coming? Because all 
the dead will be raised and he will have finished his 
work. There will not be any room for another resur- 
rection in the future. 

It is a settled fact that the thousand years' reign 
is to be between two resurrections. The first one is to 



Jacob's Ladder. 277 

be of saints alone, and the other is to be the general 
resurrection. 

I will now proceed to prove that the wicked and the 
righteous will both be raised in the next resurrection, 
and that will prove that the other one has passed: 
'' But the rest of the dead lived not again until the 
thousand years were finished. This is the first res- 
urrection." Jesus said : '' Marvel not at this : for the 
hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves 
shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that 
have done good, unto a resurrection of life; and they 
that have done evil, unto a resurrection of damnation." 
Notice, he says '' all that are in the graves " — not a 
part. That includes the wicked as well as the right- 
eous. In Acts 24 : 15 we read : "And have hope toward 
God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall 
be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and un- 
just." This shows that both classes will be raised. 
Now let me call your attention to Rev. 20: 12, 13: 
**And I saw the dead [all the dead], small and great, 
stand before God ; and the books were opened : and 
another book was opened, which is the book of life: 
and the dead were judged out of those things which 
were written in the books, according to their works. 
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and 
death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them : 
and they were judged every man according to their 
works." This is positive proof that all the dead will be 
raised at the next resurrection. Listen: Here is an- 
other passage that forever fixes the matter about there 



278 Jacob's Ladder. 

being only one resurrection in the future : " Behold, I 
show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we 
shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of 
an eye, at the last trump : for the trumpet shall sound, 
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall 
be changed/' (1 Cor. 15: 51, 52.) Notice, those who 
were dead and dying then will be raised at the general 
resurrection. '' The dead shall be raised." That means 
all the dead. And then it says this will take place at 
the last trump. According to some people, there will 
have to be another trump after a thousand years ; but 
the Bible says that this will be the last one. That is the 
time we will be raised and changed. 

Paul makes the order of the resurrection very plain 
to those who will listen : " For as in Adam all die, even 
so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man 
in his own order." Now here he gives the order: 
'' Every man in his own order." Then every man must 
be in one or the other of these that he will now men- 
tion : " Christ the first fruits ; afterwards they that are 
Christ's at his coming." Here are two resurrections 
mentioned — one at the time of the resurrection of 
Christ, and the other will be at the second coming of 
Christ. Then he says the end will come. Why will the 
end come? Why will he then deliver the kingdom to 
God? Because then the last trump will sound and all 
the dead will be raised, and that will be the last enemy 
that he will put under his feet. " For he must reign, 
till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last en- 
emy that shall be destroyed is death." 



Jacob's Ladder. 279 

Do People Go to Heaven or Hell as Soon as They 

Die? 

The most popular theory that is taught to-day is that 
as soon as a person dies the spirit goes direct to its 
enjoyment, or direct to eternal life, and that the wicked 
go direct to hell as soon as they die. I have studied 
it very closely, and I am frank to say that I believe the 
theory is without foundation. 

If it be true that people go direct to heaven as soon 
as they die, what is the use of a judgment and a res- 
urrection? How can a man be raised to life eternal 
if he has been in possession of it since his death? We 
do not enter into that rest that remains for the people 
of God until after the resurrection. Jesus says: "All 
that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall 
come forth.'' That is at the general resurrection. Paul 
says : " We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be 
changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at 
the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the 
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be 
changed.'' Notice, he says " we shall not all sleep." 
This shows that those people there expected to be among 
those who would be raised incorruptible, or among the 
changed. How could they expect to be changed or 
raised from the dead if they are going to heaven as 
soon as they die? 

The intermediate state of the spirit, or inward man, 
is called " Hades." It is not a place, but a condition. 
In Ecclesiastes we read that the spirit goes to God, 
who gave it; but that does not imply that it went into 



280 Jacob's Ladder. 

everlasting happiness. There is a sense in which it 
goes to God. Jesus commended his spirit to God; but 
after his resurrection, he told Mary to not touch him, 
as he had not yet ascended to his Father. He was in 
Hades, or the intermediate state. That intermediate 
state was paradise to him, and it was also paradise to 
the thief. 

I remember hearing one man say that paradise used 
to be in Hades, but now it has been transported to 
heaven. It would seem from that that it is movable. 
Regardless of where the spirit goes, it is in an un- 
clothed condition from death until the resurrection, and 
that is what is called " Hades." If it be true that a 
man goes directly to his reward as soon as he dies, then 
there is no Hades; but that is not true, for reasons I 
have already given. 

Will the Body be Raised? 

Yes, the body will be raised ; but in the resurrection 
it will be glorified. Paul says it will be '' raised incor- 
ruptible.'' ''It is sown a natural body ; it is raised a 
spiritual body." Paul tells us plainly that we will not 
have this same old body, and that is the reason it will 
be glorified in the resurrection. Those who remain 
alive at the coming of Christ will be changed, and the 
dead will be raised incorruptible. I once got the idea 
that the body will not be raised, but I found too many 
passages contradicting the position. The Bible tells 
me that the graves shall give up their dead and the sea 
shall give up its dead, etc. Listen : Paul says : " We 



Jacob's Ladder. 281 

shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.'' The 
dead will be changed in the resurrection. 

Let me call your attention to 1 Thess. 4: 16, 17: 
" For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with 
a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the 
trump of God : and the dead in Christ shall rise first : 
then we which are alive and remain shall be caught 
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord 
in the air." This does not mean the first of the two res- 
urrections, as some might think; but the dead will be 
raised first, and then those who are yet alive will be 
changed and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. 

The resurrection will, indeed, be a grand thing. It 
is beyond our understanding in all of its parts. There 
are some things that we can learn about it, but much 
we will not know until we have experienced it. Paul 
gave a very lengthy description of it in 1 Cor. 15, and, 
as a summing up, he said : " So when this corruptible 
shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall 
have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass 
the saying that is written. Death is swallowed up in 
victory. death, where is thy sting? grave, where 
is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the 
strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which 
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 



THE HONEST GENTILE. 



Written Sermon Number Three. 



I will begin this subject by asking a question and 
proceed by answering it: What conclusion would an 
honest Gentile come to when he reads the Bible 
through ? 

When I speak of honesty, I mean a man who is hon- 
est with himself as far as the salvation of his soul is 
concerned. 

In order that I may get the subject before you in its 
simplest form, I will present it in the form of a drama. 
I wish to use three characters in the lesson — first, the 
Honest Gentile ; second, a minister of the gospel ; third, 
a person to whom we will refer as the third party. 

There are many honest people in the world who are 
willing to become members of some church; but they 
say that there are so many different doctrines in the 
religious world, and all of them claiming to be from 
the Bible, that they do not know what church to join. 
If this is the case with you, I hope that you will be 
settled in your mind as to which church is right when 
you see the conclusions of the Honest Gentile. 

The next task before us now is to find the Honest 
Gentile. Where shall I go to find him? Some one 
might suggest Mr. Jones as the man to read the Bible, 
as every one says he is an honest man. But an objector 



284 Jacob's Ladder. 

says : '' No ; he will not do, as he has been rocked in a 
Methodist cradle, and he would be sure to come to the 
conclusion that the Methodist Church is right." 
" What about Mr. Johnson? " another will say. '' No,'' 
says an objector ; '' he will not do, as he has been raised 
under Baptist influence, and would come to the con- 
clusion that the Baptist Church is right.'' And so 
it would continue in this way. 

It would hardly be possible for me to find a man in 
this country who has not had some preconceived ideas 
as to what church is right. So I will find him in some 
country where these things are not known. I bring 
him to this country to read the Bible. He is ignorant 
of God, Christ, heaven, hell, and does not know that 
there is such a book as the Bible. He knows nothing 
of the different denominations. The only thing we 
will allow him to know is that he is a Gentile ; and, of 
course, he is not able to tell why. 

The preacher says : " I have found a person who can 
read the Bible through with an unbiased mind, and who 
is bound to come to a correct conclusion when he reads 
it through. I hear many people say that they cannot 
all see alike, and they seem to have an idea that the Bi- 
ble is responsible for all the different denominations. 
I believe that the Bible is a true revelation from God, 
and I want to have this Honest Gentile read the Bible 
and then see what his conclusions will be. I have the 
Bible in four volumes, and I will give him one volume 
at a time until he has read it all. The first volume con- 
tains the Old Testament, beginning with Genesis and 



Jacob's Ladder. 285 

ending with Malachi; the second volume contains the 
first four books of the New Testament, which are Mat- 
thew, Mark, Luke, and John; the third volume con- 
tains the Acts of the Apostles ; the fourth volume con- 
tains the Epistles and Revelation." 

" Mr. Honest Gentile," says the minister, '' I have a 
book I would like for you to read [handing him the first 
volume]. I want you to read it carefully; and when 
you have finished reading it, come and tell me what 
you think of it. Take your pencil and mark all the 
places that you do not understand, and perhaps I can 
assist you." 

" Many thanks," says the Honest Gentile. '' I will 
take pleasure in reading it." 

After a few weeks the Honest Gentile returned, and 
was ready to tell what he thought of the book. 

" This book," says the Honest Gentile, '' is one of the 
best books I have ever read. It tells me the begin- 
ning of human life. It tells how God formed man of 
the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils 
the breath of life. I knew nothing of this until I read 
this book. I learn that there is a heaven and a hell. 
I learn that man became very wicked, and God sent a 
flood to drown the wicked people, and that only eight 
persons escaped, they being righteous, and were saved 
by doing the will of the Lord. Now, there are many 
other things that I have learned ; but I wish to show 
you some passages that I have marked, and I would 
like for you to explain them to me. The first one is in 
Gen. 49: 10: 'The scepter shall not depart from Ju- 



286 Jacob's Ladder. 

dah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh 
come.' Now, I would like to know who ' Shiloh ' is. 
But before you explain that I want to read another 
passage that I have marked. Deut. 18 : 15 : * The Lord 
thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the 
midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me ; unto him 
ye shall hearken.' Is this Prophet that is to be raised 
up, to whom the people should hearken instead of 
Moses, the same person that is called ' Shiloh ' in the 
other passage? Now, before you answer that, I want 
to read another passage that I have marked, and it is 
Isa. 9:6:' For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is 
given : and the government shall be upon his shoulder.' 
Is this the same person that was mentioned in the other 
two passages? I see that he is to be born into the 
world and that he is to be called ' Wonderful, Coun- 
selor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the 
Prince of Peace.' Has this ever been fulfilled? I do 
not want you to answer now, but I want to read some 
more that I have marked. Let me read a part of Isa. 
53 : ' For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, 
and as a root out of dry ground. ... He is despised 
and rejected of men ; a man of sorrows, and acquainted 
with grief : and we hid as it were our faces from him ; 
he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he 
hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet 
we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and af- 
flicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, 
he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement 
of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we 



Jacob's Ladder. 287 

are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we 
have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord 
hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was op- 
pressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his 
mouth : he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and 
as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth 
not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from 
judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for 
he was cut off out of the land of the living : for the trans- 
gression of my people was he stricken. And he made 
his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his 
death; because he had done no violence, neither was 
any deceit in his mouth.' I have read of the meekness 
of Moses, the faith of Abraham, the wisdom of Solo- 
mon, the strength of Samson, and the patience of Job ; 
but the person who is portrayed in this chapter is the 
grandest personage of them all. But the question with 
me is, Has it been fulfilled? In the last chapter of the 
book you gave me, and next to the last verse, I read : 
' Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the 
coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.' So 
after reading the book through, I see that these things 
are yet in the future; but this was written perhaps cen- 
turies ago, and these things may have been fulfilled. I 
would like to know. But before you give me an expla- 
nation of that, I want to read some more passages that 
I have marked. 

" I learn from reading the book that you gave me 
that God led the children of Israel out of Egjrpt and 
placed them in the land of Canaan. God's hand was 



288 Jacob's Ladder. 

with them, and the Gentiles were on the outside, and 
were aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, strangers 
to the covenants of promise, without hope and without 
God in the world. I am a Gentile, and I am interested 
in the salvation of my soul. I have read the book you 
gave me, but it closes with the Gentiles in the condi- 
tion that they were when they were cut off from the 
Israelites. One thing makes me rejoice, and that is 
that the time is coming, if it has not already come, 
when the Gentiles will be in favor with God. 

'' Here are the passages : Isa. 2:2: 'And it shall 
come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of 
the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the 
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and 
all nations shall flow unto it.' I know that this includes 
the Gentiles, for he says ' all nations.' 'AH nations 
shall flow unto it ; ' but the question is. Has it been ful- 
filled? Before you tell me anything about that, let me 
read another passage. Isa. 62: 2: 'And the Gentiles 
shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory.' 
I know this includes me, for it says ' Gentiles.' But 
read on: 'And thou shalt be called by a new name, 
which the mouth of the Lord shall name.' It seems that 
when the Gentiles come in, God is to call his people by 
a new name. In verse 5 he says : ' For as a young man 
marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee.' It 
seems that we are to get married to the great person- 
age that I read about in the other passages that I read. 
I looked faithfully for a fulfillment of these passages, 
and I have finished the book; but I find that these 



Jacob's Ladder. 289 

prophecies are yet unfulfilled. Now I am ready to hear 
your answers to my questions, and also your explana- 
tions of the different passages that I have read. If they 
have been fulfilled, I want to know it." 

" There is only one way that I can help you," said 
the minister, *' and that is to give you another book to 
read." 

He then handed hirn the second volume, which con- 
tained Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and requested 
him to read it through and tell him what he thought 
of it. He also requested him to mark the places that 
he did not understand. 

" Many thanks for the book, and also for the interest 
that you have manifested in trying to help me to un- 
derstand these things. I will carefully read the book, 
and then tell you what I think of it."^ 

In a few days he returned, having read the book, 
and was now ready to tell what he thought of it. 

" This is certainly a grand book," said he to the 
minister. " It explains so many things that puzzled me 
when I was reading the other book. You remember 
that the other book stated that before the coming of 
the great and dreadful day of the Lord, Elijah would 
come. This must have referred to John the Baptist, 
who came to prepare the way of the Lord and to make 
his paths straight. The grand personage that I read 
about in the other book must have been Jesus, for he 
was born into the world and grew up like other boys. 
I first find him in the manger. I see him, when just 
a boy, talking to the wise men and telling them things 

10 



290 Jacob's Ladder. 

that they had not been able to learn in all of their 
study. I again see him when he enters the ministry 
and begins to perform miracles that startled the people. 
He healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, and 
caused the lame to walk. I see him when he stood by 
the grave of Lazarus and wept with those who wept. 
I hear him say, ' He is not dead, but sleepeth ; ' and 
then with a loud voice he said, ' Lazarus, come forth.' 
I see Lazarus arise and come out of the grave. I see 
Jesus when the mob comes to take him. I see Judas 
present the betrayal kiss, and then Jesus is led to the 
hall where he is tried. The enemies say hard words 
to him, and spit upon him, and put a crown of thorns 
upon his head. He is finally condemned to die. The 
next scene is to see him when he helps to bear his own 
cross to the place where he is crucified. He was led 
as a lamb to the slaughter, and opened not his mouth. 
The nails are driven through his hands and feet, and 
then the cross is lifted, and he hangs between the heav- 
ens and the earth. He calls for water, but they give 
him vinegar instead. Some of the people say : ' If thou 
be the Son of God, come down from the cross.' The 
chief priests, mocking him, said : ' He saved others, 
himself he cannot save.' Finally he cried with a loud 
voice and yielded up the ghost. The rocks were then 
rent, the great earthquake came, the veil of the tem- 
ple was rent in twain from top to bottom, and the 
heavens were draped in mourning. Some said : ' Truly 
this was the Son of God.' The statements in the other 
book concerning Christ have been fulfilled, but there 



Jacob's Ladder. 291 

are some things that I do not understand. I am a Gen- 
tile, and I am interested in my salvation. I remember 
that Isaiah said that the house of the Lord would be 
established in the top of the mountains and exalted 
above the hills, and that all nations should flow unto it. 
When Jesus selected his apostles and sent them out to 
preach for the first time, he told them not to go to the 
Gentiles or any city of the Samaritans, but to the lost 
sheep of the house of Israel. I know that the house 
of the Lord had not been established at that time, for 
it was to be open to all nations, and not to the Jews 
only. Up to the time that Jesus died he had not told 
the apostles to preach to all nations. On the third 
morning after Jesus had been crucified he arose from 
the dead and was with his apostles on several occasions 
before he ascended into heaven. Just about ten days 
before the day of Pentecost, Jesus was with his apos- 
tles in Galilee, where he gave them instructions and 
then ascended into heaven. Here he told them to go 
to all nations and to preach the gospel to every creature, 
and said : ' He that believeth and is baptized shall be 
saved.' I was a believer in Christ, and wanted to go 
right on then and be baptized, but thought I would fin- 
ish the book first. I finally came to Luke 24 : 46, 47, 
where it is said : ' Thus it is written, and thus it be- 
hooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the 
third day: and that repentance and remission of sins 
should be preached in his name among all nations, be- 
ginning at Jerusalem.' Here I see that Christ suffered 
that all nations should have a right to repent for the 



292 Jacob's Ladder. 

remission of sins. But when I came to verse 49, I 
heard Jesus telling his apostles to tarry in Jerusalem 
until they were endued with power from on high. They 
were commanded to preach to all nations, but were told 
to wait until they were endued with power from on 
high. I finished the book with the apostles still at Je- 
rusalem waiting for the power. Can you tell me 
whether they have ever received that power or not? 
I am anxious to know, because I want to be saved." 

" Well, I am glad to see you so interested in this 
matter ; and the only way that I can help you is to give 
you another book. Here it is. The title of it is 'Acts 
of the Apostles.' Read it through, and then tell me 
what you think of it.'' 

He took the book home with him and read it through, 
and then came back to tell what he thought of the 
work. 

" This book," said the Honest Gentile, " is only a 
continuation of the other books you have given me. 
You remember that the last book you gave me left the 
apostles at Jerusalem waiting for the power. This 
book takes the subject up right where the other book 
left off. I found the apostles at Jerusalem waiting for 
the power. Acts 1 : 4 says : 'And, being assembled to- 
gether with them, commanded them that they should 
not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise 
of the Father.' ' When they therefore were come to- 
gether, they asked of him, saying. Lord, wilt thou at 
this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And 
he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times 



Jacob's Ladder. 293 

or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own 
power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy 
Ghost is come upon j'ou.' I then began to look for the 
coming of the Spirit, for they were to receive power 
after the Spirit had come upon them. When the power 
came, they were to be witnesses of Christ both in Jeru- 
salem and Judea and ' unto the uttermost part of the 
earth.' 'And when the day of Pentecost was fully 
come, they were all with one accord in one place.' Here 
I find them still at Jerusalem waiting for the power. 
About the ninth hour, a sound from heaven, as of a 
rushing mighty wind, filled all the house where they were 
sitting. 'And there appeared unto them cloven tongues 
like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they 
were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak 
with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.' 
Here the apostles received the power that they had been 
waiting for, and Peter stood up and preached to the 
people who had assembled, and he preached the gospel 
that was to go to all nations, for it was to begin at Je- 
rusalem. Peter told them that Jesus, the one they had 
crucified, was now made both Lord and Christ. When 
the people heard this, they were pierced in their hearts 
and asked what they must do. Now, that is just what I 
wanted to know ; so I noticed with care the answer to 
the question. Peter said : ' Repent, and be baptized 
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the 
remission of sins.' I put this down so that I would be 
sure not to forget it : 

" REPENT. 

' 'BE BAPTIZED. 



294 Jacob's Ladder. 

'* I wanted to go right on then and be baptized, but 
thought it might be best for me to finish reading the 
book first. Next I came to Philip and the eunuch as 
they rode along in the chariot. The eunuch said to 
Philip : ' Here is water ; what doth hinder me to be 
baptized ? ' Philip answered : ' If thou believest with 
all thine heart, thou mayest.' The eunuch then said: 
' I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' They 
' commanded the chariot to stand still : and they went 
down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch ; 
and he baptized him.' So I concluded that I wanted to 
confess just like the eunuch did, and so I put that 
down : 

'' REPENT. 

" CONFESS. 

" BE BAPTIZED. 

'' I read on, and finally came to the conversion of the 
jailer. The jailer asked: ' Sirs, what must I do to be 
saved?' He was told to believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ and he should be saved. Paul then preached 
to them, and they believed and were baptized. So he 
was told to believe, and so I put that down with the 
other conmiands: 

" BELIEVE. 

" REPENT. 

" CONFESS. 

" BE BAPTIZED. 

" Now, I have read the books you gave me, and in the 
last one you gave me I have found out what I must do 
in order to be saved. I learn that they were com- 



Jacob's Ladder. 295 

manded to believe, repent, confess, and be baptized. 
I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ is the 
Son of God, and I have repented of my sins, and now I 
want you to baptize me. Will you do it? " 

" Yes, I will baptize you. If you are not a proper 
subject for baptism, I never saw one." 

So the minister and the Gentile went down into the 
water together, and the preacher baptized him. He is 
now a happy man, because he is a child of God. The 
minister does not tell him anything about another book, 
but waits for results. 

The Gentile goes into a little town near by, and here 
he meets the third party of this lesson, and a conversa- 
tion follows. 

'' Say, my dear sir,'' said the third party, " you 
seem to be very happy, and I would be pleased to know 
the cause of it." 

'' Well, I have just read a book that told me how to 
become a child of God, and to-day I am a saved man." 

" Was the book you read called the ' Bible? ' " 

" Yes, that was the name of it." 

" Well, what church did you join? " 

" What do you mean by asking me what church T 
joined? You talk as if there are several churches." 

" There are several churches here in this town." 

" I know nothing of these different churches. All 
that I know is that I belong to the one that is mentioned 
in the Bible that I have read. Jesus said he would 
build his church, and that is the one that I belong to. 
This book only mentions one church. It may be possi- 



296 Jacob's Ladder. 

ble that there are other books for these other churches, 
but this book only mentions one/' 

" No, all of these churches claim to be the church 
that is mentioned in the Bible. Of course they have 
articles of faith that set forth their doctrine to the 
world.'' 

" Well, I do not belong to any of them, then, as I 
have not seen any of those articles of faith. All that 
I know is what I have read in the Bible." 

" Now, I want you to tell me what you did." 

'' I believed, as the jailer was commanded to do. 
Was that right? " 

" Yes, you did right ; for men are commanded to be- 
lieve, and they must believe in order to be saved. What 
else did you do? " 

" I repented of my sins, as the Pentecostans were 
commanded to do." 

" You do not pretend to tell me that you believed be- 
fore you repented, do you? " 

'' Well, I suppose I did ; but I never even thought 
about what I would do first. If I did both, I guess it 
was done right, especially if there is only one way to 
do it. If I should have believed first, I do not suppose 
it would have been a sin. Did I do right when I re- 
pented?" 

" Yes, you did right when you repented ; but what 
else did you do? " 

" I confessed my faith in Christ, just as the eunuch 
did. Did I do right? " 

" Was that all you confessed ? " 



Jacob's Ladder. 297 

" Yes, that was the only confession that the eunuch 
made ; and I thought if it satisfied God for the eunuch 
to make it, it would certainly satisfy him for me to 
make it. If you will show me anything more to con-. 
fess, I will certainly confess it." 

*' Well, perhaps that will do ; but it seems to me that 
it is not enough just to confess that Jesus Christ is the 
Son of God." 

'' That was all that the eunuch confessed, and I 
wanted to do just as he did. I want to do the thing 
that is right; and if there is anything else to confess, 
I am willing to confess it." 

" Well, just let that go; but what else did you do? " 

" I was baptized, just like the jailer, just like the 
Pentecostans, and just like all others who were bap- 
tized during the ministry of the apostles of Christ. 
Now, this is all I have done; and if I have read the 
right book, I am a child of God." 

" I know what you are now ; you are a ' Campbell- 
ite,' " said the third party, in a scornful tone. 

With this the conversation ended, and the Honest 
Gentile was left in deep meditation. 

'' ' Campbellite,' " said the Gentile to himself — " is 
that the religious name of people who obey God? 0, 
I just happen to remember! Isaiah said: * Thou shalt 
be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord 
shall name.' I wonder if it is the name ' Campbell- 
ite? ' I am going back to that minister and see if he 
has another book." 

" Say, my brother," said the Gentile to the minister. 



298 Jacob's Ladder. 

'' what is our right religious name? I saw a man to- 
day who called me ' Campbellite/ Is that the new 
name that the people of God should wear? " 

" I will not answer your question now, but I will give 
you another book. Here it is [handing him the letters 
and Revelation]. Take it and read it through, and 
then tell me what you think about it.'' 

" I will take great pleasure in reading it." 

In a few days he returned and stated that he had 
finished the book. 

" It is now finished, and the line complete. There 
is not a link left out of the chain. The name is not the 
name ' Campbellite,' for Peter said : * If any man suf- 
fer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let 
him glorify God in this behalf.' The name is the name 
' Christian.' I remember now of reading in Acts of 
Apostles that the disciples were called ' Christians ' 
first at Antioch. Paul wanted Agrippa to be a Chris- 
tian. We are married to Christ. He is the groom, and 
we compose a part of the bride, and we should call 
ourselves by his name. Paul condemned the Corinth- 
ians for saying, ' I of Paul,' or ' I of ApoUos,' and 
asked them the question, ' Was Paul crucified for you ? 
or were you baptized in the name of Paul?' which 
leaves the impression that we are to wear the name of 
the person who was crucified for us and in whose name 
we are baptized. I expect to wear the name ' Chris- 
tian.' The last book also tells Christians how to live 
in order to receive a home in the beautiful mansions 
above. I see that it was the custom of the early Chris^ 



Jacob's Ladder. 299 

tians to meet on the first day of the week to break bread 
and drink wine in memory of the sufferings and res- 
urrection of Christ. Can you tell me where I can meet 
with members of the church of Christ? " 

" Yes ; you come to my house early next Lord's-day 
morning, and we will go to a place where the brethren 
meet to commemorate the death and sufferings of 
Christ." 

Did this man do right? Did he come to the right 
conclusion? Have you come to that same conclusion? 
Since this man has become a Christian, is it right for 
him to go and join some human institution? 



THE FIRST RESURRECTION. 



Written Sermon Number Four. 

It is advocated by a great many people that the jirt-i 
resurrection is yet in the future, but I have never been 
able to see it that way. If it is future, there are some 
passages that I do not understand. 

For my beginning I will introduce Paul's statement 
in Rom. 8 : 28, 29 : *'And we know that all things work 
together for good to them that love God, to them who 
are the called according to his purpose. For whom 
he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be con- 
formed to the image of his Son, that he might be the 
firstborn among many brethren.'' 

You will notice that these persons were predestinated 
to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might 
be the " firstborn among many brethren." The expres- 
sion " firstborn " could not have reference to the nat- 
ural birth, for he was not in this sense the " firstborn." 
It could not have had reference to a birth of water and 
Spirit, for such is not applied to Christ. Then it can 
only refer to his resurrection from the dead. He is 
referred to as the " firstborn " in Heb. 12 : 23 : '' Church 
of the firstborn." These people were conformed to the 
image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among 
them. Again : '' Moreover whom he did predestinate, 
them he also called : and whom he called, them he also 



302 Jacob's Ladder. 

justified: and whom he justified, them he also glori- 
fied/' You see that all of it is in the past. 

The reader will remember that many of the saints 
arose and came out of their graves after his resurrec- 
tion. He was first, and they followed. ''And the graves 
were opened ; and many bodies of the saints which slept 
arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrec- 
tion, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto 
many.'' 

Now, we must admit that these people arose from the 
dead; and now the question is. What became of them? 
Notice, it says '' many ; " so we cannot conclude that 
there were just a few. These were certainly the ones 
chosen to be in that first resurrection. 

In 1 Cor. 15 : 20 Christ is referred to as " the first 
fruits of them that slept." 

We find these people mentioned again in Rev, 14: 
1-4 : "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount 
Sion, and with him a hundred forty and four thousand, 
having his Father's name written in their foreheads. 
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many 
waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I 
heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 
and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, 
and before the four beasts, and the elders : and no man 
could learn that song but the hundred and forty and 
four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth." 
Now, who are these? I will let the Book answer: 
" These are they which were not defiled with women ; 
for they are virgins. These are they which follow the 



Jacob's Ladder. 303 

Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed 
from among men, being the first fruits unto God and 
to the Lamb." 

Now, if these people were the ones who arose then, 
at the resurrection of Christ, could we not refer to it 
as a resurrection, and the first? 

In Acts 2 : 29 we are reminded that David had not 
risen from the dead. Why remind them of that unless 
there had been a resurrection previous? Again, it 
says : " For David is not ascended into the heavens.'' 
(Acts 2 : 34.) Some had gone on to heaven, but David 
was still in his grave on the day of Pentecost. Paul 
says: " For whom he justified, them he also glorified." 
So those people must have been glorified. 

But to make it still more conclusive that the hundred 
forty and four thousand arose at the time of the res- 
urrection of Christ, I refer the reader to Rev. 14: 6: 
''And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, 
having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that 
dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, 
and tongue, and people." So after the resurrection and 
ascension of Christ and the hundred forty and four 
thousand, the angel goes with the everlasting gospel 
to preach to people who dwell on earth. Is not the gos- 
pel that we preach the everlasting gospel? Is it not, 
or has it not been preached to all nations ? If we now 
have the everlasting gospel, then the first resurrection 
has passed. 

Again, when the one hundred and forty and four 
thousand were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, they 



304 Jacob's Ladder. 

became followers of Christ, and are now under his 
reign, and, of course, are called '' Christians.'' '' Of 
whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." 
This refers to the name " Christian; " for what other 
name could it be? Then a part of the family is in 
heaven and a part is on earth and is called by one 
name. What name did the Lord call us? The name 
'' Christian " is the name that God has given us. How 
came a part of the family in heaven if there has not 
already been a resurrection ? 

Again, Paul only speaks of two resurrections — one 
past, the other future. " For as in Adam all die, even 
so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man 
in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterv/ards 
they that are Christ's at his coming." (1 Cor. 15 : 22, 
23.) The last resurrection will be when Christ comes 
again, for : " Then cometh the end, when he shall have 
delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; 
when he shall have put down all rule and all authority 
and power." (Verse 24.) 

So there is no room for two resurrections after Christ 
comes again. The theory that Christ will reign a thou- 
sand years after the next resurrection cannot be true. 
Christ is now reigning in the first dominion of the king- 
dom, and after the next resurrection he will deliver 
the kingdom to God. He will continue his reign until 
all enemies have been put under his feet ; but I will say 
more about that in another part of this lesson. 

Here is another passage : '' For the Lord himself shall 
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the 



Jacob's Ladder. 305 

archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead 
in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and 
remain shall be caught up together with them in the 
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air : and so shall we ever 
be with the Lord." (1 Thess. 4 : 16, 17.) The expres- 
sion, " the dead in Christ shall rise first," does not re- 
fer to a first resurrection, but to the first transaction. 
First, the dead in Christ will be raised; and, second, 
the living in Christ will be caught up together with 
them to meet the Lord in the air. Paul says : " Behold, 
I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we 
shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of 
an eye, at the last trump : for the trumpet shall sound, 
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall 
be changed." (1 Cor. 15: 51, 52.) Notice that this is 
the last trump. This is the same that is referred to in 
1 Thess. 4: 16, 17. Then how can we look for another 
resurrection or another trump if this is the last one ? 

But there is another passage, and it is the hardest 
one to reconcile with the position that I have taken 
in this sermon ; but if what I have said is true, it must 
fall in line. Rev. 20 : 4 is the passage I Tiave reference 
to : "And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand 
years." Why? " The souls of them that were beheaded 
for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and 
which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, 
neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, 
or in their hands." " But the rest of the dead lived not 
again until the thousand years were finished. This is 
the first resurrection." Now, the reader will observe 



306 Jacob's Ladder. 

that this thousand years' reign is to be between two 
resurrections, and I have proved beyond question that 
there is but one resurrection in the future. 

1. " Every man in his own order." 

2. " Christ the first fruits." 

3. " They that are Christ's at his coming." 

4. *' Then cometh the end." 

So after the next resurrection the end will come. 

Again, we might learn something by investigating 
the reign of Chinst. We know that Christ was to reign 
during the thousand years, whenever it is to be. 

Micah 4: 8 says: ''And thou, tower of the flock, 
the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall 
it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall 
come to the daughter of Jerusalem." Now, regardless 
of whether there be two or three dominons, Christ is 
to reign in the first. Now, if there is a thousand years' 
dominion yet to come, Christ will not be in it, for he 
was to reign in the first dominon. 

How long is Christ to reign in his present kingdom ? 
He is to reign until the next resurrection. '' Every 
man in his own order: Christ the first fruits [Christ 
and the saints] ; afterwards they that are Christ's at his 
coming." What will happen then? " Then cometh the 
end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to 
God, even the Father ; when he shall have put down all 
rule and all authority and power." (1 Cor. 15: 24.) 
Do you see any room here for a thousand years' reign 
after the coming resurrection? Again, he must reign 
in the present kingdom until all enemies have been put 



Jacob's Ladder. 307 

under him. '' The last enemy that shall be destroyed 
is death.'' Then he must reign as he is now until all 
the dead are raised, .and that leaves none to be raised 
at the end of another reign. 

If the theory of a future thousand years' reign of 
Christ on earth be true, then the Christadelphians are 
right in their position on a future kingdom. 

Now, I have proved in several lines of argum.ent that 
the thousand years of reign is going on now ; but there 
are some seeming difficulties. 

First, the devil is to be bound a thousand years, or 
during the thousand years ; and at the end of the time 
he will be turned loose for a little season. This is the 
most difficult part to harmonize with the position ; but 
the loosing of Satan for a little season is difficult, re- 
gardless of whether the thousand years' reign be pres- 
ent or future, for it is to be at the end of the thousand 
years. But is Satan bound now? He must be. A seal 
was set upon him so that he should deceive the nations 
no more until the thousand years were finished. The 
angel had a great chain in his hand and had the key 
of the bottomless pit. The chain was not a literal one, 
neither was the key a literal one. Satan is now bound 
by a chain of testimony, and he is not deceiving the 
nations. Men can and do sin, but the devil deceives 
nations no more. Now, I do not know just what this 
means ; but it does not affect the position. The last 
great fight of Satan was when he tried to keep Christ 
in Hades; but Christ won the victory, for he had the 
keys. He forever settled the question of the resurrec- 
tion. 



308 Jacob's Ladder. 

Again, he said : " I saw the souls of them that were 
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word 
of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, nei- 
ther his image, neither had received his mark upon 
their foreheads, or in their hands/' Now, how can 
these saints be in this reign unless the first resurrection 
continued until all these that are mentioned were num- 
bered with them? 

Now let us read Rev. 6: 9-11: "And when he had 
opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls 
of them that were slain for the word of God, and for 
the testimony which they held : and they cried v/ith a 
loud voice, saying. How long, Lord, holy and true, 
dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that 
dwell on the earth ? And white robes were given unto 
every one of them; and it was said unto them, that 
they should rest yet for a little season, until their fel- 
low-servants also and their brethren, that should be 
killed as they were, should be fulfilled." 

In Rev. 7, at the opening of the next seal, the sixth, 
we find white-robed people before the throne, which 
would seem to indicate that those who were under the 
altar at the fifth seal are before the throne in the sixth 
seal. But one of the elders asked who these people 
were, and the answer came : " Sir, thou knowest. And 
he said to me. These are they which came out of great 
tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made 
them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are 
they before the throne of God, and serve him day and 
night in his temple : and he that sitteth on the throne 



Jacob's Ladder. 309 

shall dwell among them. . . . For the Lamb which 
is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall 
lead them unto living fountains of water : and God shall 
wipe away all tears from their eyes.'' (Rev. 7 : 14-17.) 
Since this was to take place while Christ is on the 
throne, we have reason to believe it is going on now. 
It seems that this first resurrection continued until all 
the apostles and other martyred saints were numbered 
with them in the reign. That reign is not to every one, 
for the subjects are specified. The reign was not to be 
on earth, but in heaven. There may be some seeming 
difficulties ; but, to take it all around, I do not see how 
this position can fail to be true. 

I am fully expecting that when I pass from this life 
I will be raised from the dead at the proper time to en- 
joy the blessings of the world that has no end. Away 
yonder in the great future — somewhere, sometime — 
there will be a trumpet sound, and at an instant the 
dead will be raised, and we will pass into the presence 
of the great Judge. The righteous will then pass to 
eternity among the angels of heaven to enjoy that rest 
that remains for the people of God. 



SHORT EXTRACTS. 



[This part of the book is composed of short extracts 

from the editorials written by Brother 

Borden in the Christian Pilot.'] 



Was Alexander Campbell the Founder of the 
Church? 

I received a letter a few days ago from a brother 
who wishes to know if it can be proved by history that 
Alexander Campbell was the founder of the church to 
which we belong. The church to which we belong is 
vulgarly called the *' Campbellite Church ; '' but that is 
only a nickname, and we have never accepted it. I 
have never read an unbiased historian who said that 
Campbell was the founder of a religious sect. Some 
people who lived at the time of Campbell's work among 
the Baptists and his separation from their communities 
gave him the (as they thought) honor of being the 
founder of the church; but they did not understand 
Brother Campbell's position. I will now give you what 
the New International Encyclopedia has to say about 
this matter : 

" This religious body, sometimes called, without its 
consent, ' Campbellites,' represents a movement in the 
church in the interest of union by a return in faith 
and life to the Christianity of the New Testament. 
. . . In 1823 Alexander Campbell began to set forth 



312 Jacob's Ladder. 

with vigor and learning, in a periodical entitled * The 
Christian Baptist/ a plea for the simple gospel order 
of things, as under the apostles. It was not a reforma- 
tion he urged, but a restoration; not the organization 
of a new sect or the reformation of an old one, but a 
return to Jerusalem, the renewal of the ancient land- 
marks of the Christian religion, the restoration of apos- 
tolic Christianity, its doctrines, ordinances, and fruits. 
His protest against human creeds as bonds of union 
and plea for the all-sufficiency of the sacred Scriptures 
aroused opposition, and the viev/s he advocated were in 
many quarters denounced as heterodox.'' 

Now, the writers of this encyclopedia were evidently 
unbiased and gave the exact idea of Campbell when he 
began fighting for a renewal of the ancient landmarks. 
Campbell organized local congregations, but he did not 
claim to be the founder of a new doctrine. 



« 4s 



'* Get Religion and Join the Church." 

The above expression is, indeed, a very common one. 
In the first place, people say " get religion " when they 
mean " be saved." Religion is something to be done, 
as is stated by James. A saved man is a child of God, 
and a child of God is in God's family. God's family is 
his church. We are born into the family of God. A 
person becomes a child of God by being bom again. 
In that way he becomes a member of God's family. 
It would be just as consistent for my children to join 



Jacob's Ladder. 313 

my family as it would be for a child of God to join God's 
family. My children are bom into my family, and 
God's children are born into his family. One is by the 
natural birth and the other is by the spiritual birth. 
When a man becomes a child of God, he is then in 
God's family, or church, and does not have to join it. 



* * 



Evidence of Salvation. 

All the evidence that we have that God has pardoned 
our sins is that he tells us to do certain things and then 
he will save us. Knowing that God is not slack con- 
cerning his promises, when we have obeyed his com- 
mandments, we trust in his promises for the salvation. 
We believe that he has saved us, because he said he 
would. We do not know when that pardon comes, only 
by what God has promised in his word. 

We grant that a man feels good when he is saved, 
but the evidence of the salvation is what makes him 
feel good. Since the evidence comes before the feeling, 
how can feeling be the evidence? Remission of sins 
takes place in heaven, and not in us ; and there is only 
one way to find out that we are pardoned, and that is 
by the promises of God. I cannot any more feel salva- 
tion from my sins than I can feel God writing my name 
in the Lamb's book of life in heaven. Jesus says : " He 
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Here 
salvation is promised to the baptized believer. If we 
are baptized believers, we have the promise of God 



314 Jacob's Ladder. 

that our sins are pardoned. Paul says : " God is my 
witness." I have had men to tell me that they would 
not give their feelings for all of the New Testaments 
in the world. They pat themselves on the breast and 
say: " IVe got it right in here." I have had them to 
try to tell me how they were converted, but it would 
all wind up in feelings. " I felt that God for Christ's 
sake had pardoned my sins " is one of their favorite ex- 
pressions. When a man has the evidence of his salva- 
tion, he will rejoice because of that evidence. We know 
when we are sick by feeling, because it takes place in 
us — that is, in the natural man; but we must be able 
to determine the difference in feelings if we distinguish 
one disease from another. We know the difference 
between a chill and a fever by the way we feel ; but if 
we never had heard these feelings described, we would 
not know the difference between a chill and a fever. 
Take the first man who ever had a chill. Did he know 
that it was a chill? He could not determine by the 
feelings, because he had never felt that way before and 
had never heard it described. How can a man take 
that peculiar feeling as evidence when he never had 
that feeling before and those who have had it cannot 
describe it? How in the world did they know that sal- 
vation would feel that way? Another thing is, a man 
never experiences that feeling unless he has been taught 
to expect it. Any person feels better after he has re- 
pented, but he cannot take that as an evidence of par- 
don. 



Jacob's Ladder. 315 

Is Feeling an Evidence of Salvation? 

The apostle tells us that we have passed from death 
unto life, because we love the brethren. He also states 
that we know we love the children of God when we 
love God and keep his commandments. Paul tells us 
that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we 
are the sons of God. Paul also says : " God is my wit- 
ness." But in no place in the Bible does it say that 
feelings is an evidence of pardon. A man will feel 
good when he repents, and he will feel good when he 
gets to where God has promised to meet and bless him. 
The evidence of pardon will cause a man to feel good, 
but feeling is not the evidence. In this case good feel- 
ing is the result of evidence. Jesus says : " He that 
believeth and is baptized shall be saved." When we 
obey the commands, we have the promise of Jesus that 
we will be saved. 

Sin. 

If there is anything in the world people should under- 
stand, it is sin ; but the way some people speak of it is 
evidence to me that they do not understand it. 

There are two great extremes advocated by people 
on this subject. One is that men are so good that they 
cannot be bad, and the other is that men are so bad 
that they cannot be good. 

Neither of these positions can be true. I have heard 
men say that they had not sinned for twenty years; 
and then I have heard men say that they were defiled 



316 Jacob's Ladder. 

in all the faculties of soul, body, and spirit, being op- 
posite to all good and wholly inclined to evil. 

I have now set before you the two great extremes, 
and the truth lies between the two. These two extreme 
views are held by the majority of the human family. 
Some people have an idea that sin is something that is 
born in a person, and it is often referred to as the *' old 
Adam.'' In the first place, if sin is something that is 
on the inside of a person, it should stay there, for Je- 
sus says : " That which cometh from the heart defileth 
man." I once heard of a man who, when he came to 
die, said that he wanted placed on the stone that marked 
his burying place the expression : *' Here lies a lump of 
truth." This man was a great liar; so they asked him 
why he wanted that done, and he replied: *'A11 the 
truth that was ever in me is still there, but the lies have 
all come out." According to this theory, the more a 
man sins, the better off he will be. 

People of some denominations get an idea into their 
heads that sin has been transmitted from parent to 
child from Adam to the present time. They not only 
say that men inherit sins, but that they are inherently 
totally depraved. There are very few real believers 
in this doctrine, notwithstanding it is advocated by so 
many creeds. The very make-up of man is proof to me 
that this is not true. 

When God formed man of the dust of the ground 
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, he be- 
came a living man. Then God said that he was good, 
and very good. Yet that good man sinned. It was not 



Jacob's Ladder. 317 

inherited corruption that caused him to sin, but he 
yielded to temptation. Sin was an act on man's part, 
for " sin is the transgression of the law." This being 
true, '' where there is no law, there is no transgres- 
sion." This is a strong proof that man cannot inherit 
sin. In Prov. 24 : 9 it is said that the thought of fool- 
ishness is sin. It is the evil thought that is sin, and 
not that which does the thinking. We inherit the 
" thinker," but not what the '' thinker " thinks. *'A11 
unrighteousness is sin." (1 John 5: 17.) According 
to these Bible definitions of sin, it is true that sin can- 
not be inherited. Adam and Eve committed the first 
sin by transgressing the law of God. Sin is an act of 
the creature and is not inherited- 



* * 



The Need of Good Books. 

Some people seem to fail to see the need of good 
books in their homes. What is the use to send boys and 
girls to school and then fail to furnish good literature 
for them to read? If we do not furnish literature for 
them, they will seek it from other sources, and they are 
more than likely to get the wrong kind of reading. Peo- 
ple can form a habit of reading good books as well as 
they can bad ones. A great many form their lives by 
what they read. Let us not wait until the child is too 
old to do much with it, but remember that while the 
child is young is the time to begin working on the 
formation of character. Why is it that so many people 



318 Jacob's Ladder. 

do not like to read the Bible? It is because they have 
not read it enough to like it. They have let other books 
take its place and have formed a habit of reading infe- 
rior literature. 

The Drawing Power. 

Jesus says : '' No man can come to me, except the 
Father which hath sent me draw him : and I will raise 
him up at the last day." We learn from this that no 
man can come to Christ unless he is drawn by the Fa- 
ther. But the question is, How does the Father draw 
them ? It is not by force, for men refuse to come. Read 
the next verse, which tells us how we are drawn. " It 
is written in the prophets. And they shall be all taught 
of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and 
hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." It is by 
revelation that God makes these things known unto us. 
Paul tells us that without faith it is impossible to please 
God, for he that cometh to God must believe. 



4^ * 



'' My Spirit Shall Not Always Strive With Man.'' 

I attended a meeting once where a mourner's-bench 
revival was being conducted, and the mourners were 
rather slow about " coming through." The preacher 
in charge of the meeting tried every way he could to 
get them to '' get religion," but it seemed that the Lord 
would not save them. The preacher then told them 



Jacob's Ladder. 319 

that the Lord would not always put up with them. He 
then quoted the statement in Gen. 6 : 3, '* My spirit shall 
not always strive with man/' and applied it to this age 
of the world. He should have read the rest of the 
verse: *' Yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty 
years." This was confined to the people before the 
flood and does not apply to this age of the world. Be- 
sides that, if it did, they would have one hundred and 
twenty years, and none of us live that long. As long 
as a man lives he has time to repent and become a son 
of God. '' The law of the Lord is perfect, converting 
the soul.'' '' The gospel is the power of God unto sal- 
vation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and 
also to the Greek." 

Repentance or Faith? 

In this country there is much said about which a man 
does first — believes or repents. Some argue that re- 
pentance is first, and that a man must repent in order 
to believe. I really do not care one straw which a man 
does first. If a man repents before he believes, I will 
be the last man to raise objections to it. When a man 
tells me that he repented before he had any faith, I 
may not believe it, but will not fall out with him for 
thinking so. The Bible teaches us to repent and also to 
believe, but it does not say that we will be lost if we 
should repent first. I do not believe that any man will 
be held accountable in the judgment for having re- 
pented before he believed, any more than modern spir- 



320 Jacob's Ladder. 

itualists will be held accountable for calling up the 
spirits of the dead. They may be punished for mak- 
ing such claims ; but as for doing it, they cannot. 



« * 



Abraham's Faith. 

One of the best things about Abraham was his great 
faith. His faith was so strong that he believed what 
God told him. He is called " faithful Abraham." Why 
was it Abraham's great faith that caused him to obey 
when God told him to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice? 
Because God had told him that in his seed all nations 
should be blessed, and that his covenant should be with 
Isaac. Abraham believed what God had told him, so 
he was not at all afraid to offer his son. He did not un- 
derstand how God intended to manage it. He might 
have thought that God would raise him from the dead. 
He remembered that the promised seed should come 
through Isaac. When Abraham was in the act of slay- 
ing his son, the voice of the Lord said to him : '' Stay 
thy hand." 

"Faith Only." 

The Methodist " Discipline " tells us that a man is 
justified by faith only. The Baptists also say that sal- 
vation is by faith only. 

James tells us that men are justified by works, and 
not by faith only. Paul tells us that the gospel is *' th^ 



Jacob's Ladder. 321 

power of God unto salvation to every one that believ- 
eth/' The gospel is not the power of God to save the 
unbeliever, but the believer. If the gospel is the power 
of God to save the believer, it is evidence that the be- 
liever has to do something in order to be saved. '' It 
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save 
them that believe." (Paul.) *'As many as received 
him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, 
even to them that believe on his name." (John.) The 
above passages prove beyond a doubt that men are not 
saved by faith alone. " Blessed are they that do his 
commandments, that they may have right to the tree 
of life, and may enter in through the gates into the 
city." (Revelation. ) The walls of Jericho fell by faith, 
but not until the Israelites had obeyed the commands. 
They worked seven days before the walls fell. We are 
saved by faith, but not without obedience. 



4b ^ 



Repentance and Faith. 

The Baptists argue that repentance precedes faith, 
but their creed says that they are inseparable graces. 
If they are inseparable, how can one precede the other? 
One cannot precede the other if one cannot exist with- 
out the other. Besides that, the Baptist creed tells us 
that repentance and faith are evidences of regenera- 
tion. According to that, a man must be regenerated 
before he can believe or repent. We are also told by 
the creed that they are wrought in our souls by the ra- 
il 



322 Jacob's Ladder. 

generating Spirit of God. Paul says that faith comes 
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Faith 
and repentance are not direct gifts of God. 

" By Grace Are Ye Saved." 

It is a truth that cannot be denied that men are saved 
by grace, and I have my first man to meet who claims 
to the contrary. This is a truth that all denominations 
are agreed on ; still they will differ on the '' how." In 
the first place, I will ask, What is the grace of God? 
In one sense of the word, the gospel is the grace of 
God, from the fact that it is a teacher. This grace has 
appeared at one time to all men, teaching them. All 
that God has done for us is by grace, for grace is fa- 
vor. It is unmerited, for we did nothing to cause God 
to fix a plan to save all who would come to him. All 
that God does for us, then, is by grace, and all we do 
that he has commanded us to do is done in faith. Take 
what God does and what we do, and it brings about our 
salvation. We obey God, but God saves us from our 
sins. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and 
the evidence of things not seen. We repent in faith, 
we confess in faith, we are baptized in faith, and we 
add to our faith all the Christian duties. " Not of 
works, lest any man should boast," does not have ref- 
erence to anything that God has commanded us to do. 
If we are not saved by any kind of works, we are not 
saved by faith, for Jesus said : " This is the work of 



Jacob's Ladder. 323 

God, that ye believe." It is true that we are not saved 
by the works of the law, but we are saved by the law 
of faith. It is^ by grace that we have the word of God 
to lead us into the right way. It is by faith that we do 
as the word says. I can truthfully say that the farmer 
makes his cotton by grace through faith. What God 
does in the way of sending rain on the just and on the 
unjust is by grace, and the work the farmer does is by 
faith. 

Is Man Wholly Mortal? 

It is argued by some that man is wholly mortal. If 
man is wholly mortal, he is all matter, and the men 
who advocate it we call " materialists.'' If man is 
wholly mortal, he remains unconscious between death 
and the resurrection. Men who hold that man is wholly 
mortal also say that the punishment of the wicked is 
annihilation. One doctrine calls for another. If man 
is not wholly mortal, how can punishment to him be 
annihilation? The body of man is mortal, but the spirit 
came from God and is immortal. At death it goes back 
to God. If the spirit of man is only the breath that he 
breathes, how is it that his spirit is any better than 
animal spirits? In Ecclesiastes it is stated that the 
spirit of man goeth upward, while the spirit of the 
beast goeth downward to the earth. Is the breath of 
one any better than another? Those who advocate the 
materialist doctrine say that Christ was wholly mor- 
tal. How could he have been wholly mortal and yet 



824 Jacob's Ladder. 

be from heaven ? Christ, or the Word, was in the be- 
ginning with God. Was Christ mortal then? Did his 
immortality become mortality when he was born of the 
virgin Mary? Christ told the thief that he should be 
with him in paradise that day. Their bodies were not 
buried in the same grave, but some part of Christ and 
some part of the thief went to paradise that day. The 
theory of evolution is based on the theory that man is 
all matter. If I accept the theory that man is all mat- 
ter, I also accept the theory that man and animals are 
on equal footing. 



Paul's Idea of Following Men and Wearing 
Human Names. 

When Paul wrote to the Corinthian brethren, he 
condemned them for following men instead of the Lord. 
Some of them were saying : '' I of Paul ; and I of Apol- 
los; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ." Paul asked 
them if Christ was divided, and also if they were bap- 
tized in the name of Paul. This, of course, was enough 
to convince them that if they had been baptized in the 
name of Paul and if Paul had been crucified for them, 
they would have a perfect right to wear his name ; but 
since Christ was crucified for them and they were bap- 
tized in the name of Christ, it was right that they 
should wear his name. If we should call ourselves 
" Campbellites," we would be doing wrong, just as Paul 
said the Corinthians were doing wrong. Paul thanked 
God that he had not baptized any more of them than 



Jacob's Ladder. 325 

he had; and who can blame him for it, since they 
wanted to call themselves '' Paulites '' instead of 
" Christians? '' We are not Paulites because we obey 
the gospel preached by Paul. We are followers of 
Christ. We love Paul, because he was a preacher of 
righteousness; but he preached Christ, and when we 
follow his teachings, we follow Christ, and have no 
right to rob Christ of the honor and glory and give it to 
Paul. If God allowed his people to wear human names, 
why did he change Jacob's name from ''Jacob " to 
" Israel? " " Israel " was the name of the Lord, and 
"Jacob " was not. "All people of the earth shall see 
that thou art called by the name of the Lord ; and they 
shall be afraid of thee." (Deut. 28: 10.) You see 
from this that these people were called by the name 
of the Lord. 

" When Do We Get Eternal Life.? '' 

In the Eye Opener and in the Firm Foundation I see 
that Brother Lemmons and other brethren are having 
some controversy about when a child of God is in pos- 
session of eternal life. In order to properly understand 
this subject, it would be best to divide it into its differ- 
ent parts. Eternal life is everlasting. In other words, 
it is a life that does not end. God gave the Israelites 
an everlasting covenant, and gave them the land of 
Canaan for an everlasting possession; but it was con- 
ditional. They would have been in the land to-day had 
they kept the covenant. *' If the first covenant had 



326 Jacob's Ladder. 

been faultless, then should no place have been sought 
for the second." It is a fact that we have life now that 
we did not have before we were converted. We arise 
to walk in newness of life. Now, the question is, Is this 
life an everlasting life? Is it not true that if we con- 
tinue faithful unto death we will still have the life 
that we received when we became new creatures in 
Christ? Then that could be called '* eternal life'' on 
conditions. Adam had eternal life on conditions. If 
he had not transgressed the law of God, he would have 
had life to-day. When we have Christ, we have life, 
and that life is eternal ; yet it is on conditions. 

There is a life in every man that never ceases to be. 
The spirit that God forms in man is just as immortal 
as God. That could also be called '' eternal life." The 
sinner has this eternal life as well as the Christian. 
The sinner who spends his future in hell has the same 
eternal life. It is a life that never ends. I will not 
give any proof along this line, as I am not writing to 
" soul sleepers." 

There is yet another kind of eternal life, or, in other 
words, life that never ends. Read Dan. 12: 2: "And 
many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall 
awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame 
and everlasting contempt." You will see that on both 
sides is life, but one is in shame and everlasting con- 
tempt, while the other is everlasting happiness. John 
5 : 29 says that some will come forth to life, while oth- 
ers will come forth to damnation. Everlasting life and 
everlasting damnation are contrasted. This everlast- 



Jacob's Ladder. 327 

ing life is in the world to come. Everlasting life to the 
Christian and everlasting damnation to the sinner are in 
the world to come. Everlasting life is everlasting hap- 
piness, while everlasting death is everlasting punish- 
ment. There is no possibility of losing this eternal life 
after we get in possession of it, as it will be in the world 
where there is no sin. Eternal life that is mentioned 
in John 5 : 24-30 is received in the world to come. It 
is true that the words '' hath " and '' is " are used, but 
this is spoken in prophetic language. '' The time is 
coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice 
of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." 
'' Marvel not at this : for the hour is coming, in the 
which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and 
shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the 
resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil, unto 
the resurrection of damnation." The eternal life from 
which we can never fall is in the world to come and to 
those who do the will of the Lord while here. " But he 
shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, 
and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, 
and lands, with persecutions : and in the world to come 
eternal life." (Mark 10 : 30.) 

This shows that eternal life is in the world to come. 
We will receive a crown of life if we continue faith- 
ful until death. That crown of life is beyond death. 
Paul says that we seek for glory, honor, eternal life. 
We also seek for immortality. We are in possession of 
some immortality, some glory, some honor, and some 
life; yet there is immortality, glory, honor, and life 



328 Jacob's Ladder. 

that we do not possess here. We have some glory, for 
Paul says that we have been called to glory and virtue ; 
yet Paul says : '' Worketh for us a far more exceeding 
and eternal weight of glory.'' (2 Cor. 4: 17.) 

" I Am the Way." 

In John 14 : 6 Jesus says : " I am the way, the truth, 
and the life : no man cometh unto the Father, but by 
me." 

To get into the way, then, is to get into Christ, for 
Christ is the way. The '^ narrow way," then, is 
Christ. Whatever it takes to get into Christ is what 
it takes to get into the way. Baptism is not in the 
" narrow way," from the fact that we are baptized 
into the way. Paul tells us in Gal. 3 : 27 that we are 
baptized into Christ, and he is the way. 

The Good Samaritan, Viewed from a Lodge 
Standpoint. 

And it came to pass, as a certain man journeyed 
from Jerusalem to Jericho, he fell among bad men, 
who robbed him of all of his money and left him half 
dead. 

It came to pass that a certain lodge man came that 
way; and when he saw the man, he looked on him; 
but as the poor fellow could not give the distress sign, 



Jacob's Ladder. 329 

he passed by and left the wounded man for some one 
else to care for. 

And also another very prominent lodge member, 
who was on his way to Jerusalem to attend lodge, 
came that way ; but when he looked upon the man and 
saw that he was not able to give a sign, he passed by 
on the other side, for he was in a hurry to get to lodge. 

But a certain good man, who cared not for lodges, 
came that way; and when he saw the wounded man, 
he had compassion on him, for he was a human and 
needed assistance. So the good Samaritan did not 
look for marks or brands of identification, but he was 
a neighbor to the man who fell among wicked men. 

" Drink of This Cup." 

Much has been said along this line, and brethren 
have been criticized a great many times by men who 
have not given the matter a critical examination. I 
remember when I was young in the faith a brother 
rebuked the elder of the congregation because he had 
two cups, saying that there v/as but one cup used in 
apostolic times. At that time I thought that the crit- 
icism was just, but later I have decided that the 
brother was too fast. The word " cup " is used a great 
many times in the New Testament. Jesus prayed that 
the " cup " might be removed. '*And he took the cup, 
and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying. Drink 
ye all of it." Drink of what? Drink of the cup. 



330 Jacob's Ladder. 

What is the cup ? " For this is my blood of the new 
testament." Jesus says : '' Father, if this cup may 
not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will 
be done.'' Notice the word '' cup " in this. After 
the same manner also he took the '' cup " when he 
had supped, saying: ''This cup is the new testament 
in my blood." '' For as often as ye eat this bread 
and drink this cup." What did they eat? The bread. 
What did they drink? The cup. The " cup," then, 
was the wine that they used. The amount of wine 
we use is the cup, and it may be put in two glasses 
as far as that is concerned. It is one wine or one cup 
if it is in two glasses. The cup that was mentioned 
in Corinthians did not have reference to the vessel in 
which the wine was placed, but figuratively it referred 
to the wine. 

Idolatry. 

When we speak of idolatry, nearly every one will 
think of the people who worship images made of gold, 
silver, wood, and other things. We never stop to 
think that we have idolaters at home. We have idol 
worshipers all around us. The city of Athens did not 
contain all of the idolatrous worshipers. Anything 
that we will allow to stand between us and our God 
is our idol. A Sunday headache is a very popular idol 
with a great many people. Some people stay at home 
on the Lord's day because some of the relatives come 
to see them. When that is done, you make your rel- 



Jacob's Ladder. 331 

atives your idols. Some people will stay at home be- 
cause they want to see some man about a trade that 
will amount to several hundred dollars. In this case 
the money is the idol. How many idol worshipers are 
there in every congregation? Some people make 
money their God. They love it better than anything 
else. 

On the Rock. 

In Matt. 7 Jesus said : " Whosoever heareth these 
sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto 
a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and 
the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds 
blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for 
it was founded upon a rock. And every one that hear- 
eth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall 
be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house 
upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods 
came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; 
and it fell : and great was the fall of it." 

The man who builds on the rock is the man who 
does the will of God, and other men are building on 
the sand. There are many institutions in this world 
that are built on the sand. Jesus says : '' Thou art 
Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church ; and 
the gates of hell shallnot prevail against it." The 
man who is in the church of Christ is on the rock. 
The fact that Jesus is the Christ of God is that upon 
which the salvation of the world rests. Paul laid the 



332 Jacob's Ladder. 

foundation of the church at Corinth by preaching that 
Jesus is the Christ, and said that '* other foundation can 
no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ/' 
The way to lay this foundation, then, is to preach 
Christ. To be in this church is to be on this rock. 



4^ * 



The Power of the Word. 

A brother has requested that I write an article on 
the above subject. 

What we mean by the '' word '' is the gospel of 
Christ — the information that we find in the word of 
God, or the Bible. 

Paul says that '' the gospel is the power of God unto 
salvation.'' (Rom. 1: 16.) Notice, he says that it is 
the power. If it is the power, then there is no other 
medium through which God intends to convert people. 
Some people think that the word of God is a dead let- 
ter, but it is powerful. '' For the word of God is 
quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul 
and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a 
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." 
(Heb. 4: 12.) Here we learn that it is quick, pow- 
erful, and sharp. When a man says that it is not 
powerful, he flatly denies Paul. Some speak of the 
gospel as the " word only." Listen to Paul : " For 
our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also 
in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assur- 



Jacob's Ladder. 333 

ance." (1 Thess. 1: 5.) It came in power, and it 
has not lost that power. The word of God furnishes 
the man of God unto all good works. (2 Tim. 3 : 15, 
16.) It pertains to life and godliness. (2 Pet. 1: 3.) 
This word of God gives us hope (Rom. 14: 4), and 
we have nothing else on which to base our hopes. 
Our hopes are all based on what we read in the Bible. 
The word of God is able to convert us. (Ps. 19: 7.) 
The word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light 
unto our path. (Ps. 119: 105.) It is the Christian's 
food. We cannot be saved without faith, and faith 
comes by hearing the word of God. (Rom. 10: 17.) 
We will be judged by the word at the last day. (John 
12: 48; Rom. 2: 16.) 

The Infant. 

If the infant is totally depraved, as the Baptists 
say, how is it saved? I will be glad for some Baptist 
preacher to tell me about this matter. Where does 
the word of God say anything about the salvation of 
infants? How many plans does God have to save 
sinners? If faith is a condition 6t salvation for all 
totally depraved persons, how is the infant ever to be 
saved? The infant has never been lost and does not 
have to be saved. It is a fit subject for the kingdom. 
Sin is a transgression of law. There is no law to the 
infant; therefore the infant is not a sinner. 



334 Jacob's Ladder. 

Baptism of the Holy Spirit. 

There are only two cases of the baptism of the Holy 
Spirit on record. One was at the house of Cornelius, 
and the other was on the day of Pentecost. The Holy 
Spirit was not poured out on the day of Pentecost in 
order to convert the apostles, but for the benefit of 
those who would be converted under their preaching. 
The Holy Spirit was not poured out on Cornelius in 
order to save him, but to convince others. If the Holy 
Ghost did the work of saving Cornelius, it was useless 
for Peter to have been sent for. You will notice that 
in each case they spoke with tongues. On the day of 
Pentecost they spoke with tongues, and in the house 
of Cornelius we find them speaking with tongues. 
The baptism of the Holy Spirit was a promise, and 
not a command. No man can show where the bap- 
tism of the Holy Spirit was ever commanded. The 
same cause will produce the same effect every time. 
If men are baptized with the Holy Spirit to-day, they 
can speak in languages that they never knew before. 
This is evidence enough to me that men are not bap- 
tized with the Holy Spirit to-day. 



^ ^ 



" My Church." 

Jesus said : " Upon this rock I will build my church ; 
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'' 
Notice, he said '' my church; '' not Luther's, Wesley's, 
or Campbell's church, but " my church." Notice, too, 



Jacob's Ladder. 335 

it is used in the singular number. It is one, and not 
many. Now, are we right when we refer to it as the 
"church of Christ?'' It was not the Jewish congre- 
gation, but the church of Christ. Jesus not only said 
'•' my church," but he said : " The gates of hell [Hades] 
shall not prevail against it [her] ." That same church 
is in existence now. All Christians are members of 
that church. To be a Christian is to be a member of 
that church. On the day of Pentecost the " Lord 
added to the church daily such as should be saved." 
The Lord does not add people to the Methodist or Bap- 
tist Churches, but he adds them to his church. 

The popular idea of a person's becoming a child of 
God and then joining the church is absurd when ref- 
erence is made to the church of Christ. It is true, a 
person can become a child of God and then join some 
human institution, to his own disadvantage; but when 
a person becomes a child of God, in that act he be- 
comes a member of the church of Christ. The Jews 
were born into the kingdom of Israel by the natural 
birth, and we are born into the kingdom of Christ by 
the spiritual birth of water and the Spirit. How can 
a man join the family after he has been bom into it? 
Can it be done? Think on these things. 

What is This Gospel that is the Power of God? 

Some have been trying to get an idea that the gos- 
pel is some incomprehensible something. Jesus said 
to the apostles : '' Preach the gospel to every crea- 



336 Jacob's Ladder. 

ture/' This gospel was something that the apostles 
preached, and we have what they preached. If Pe- 
ter preached the gospel on the day of Pentecost, then 
the gospel is not some incomprehensible thing. There 
is no other gospel unless it is a perverted gospel. 
'"' But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any 
other gospel unto you than that which we have 
preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Gal. 1: 8.) 
This shows that Paul preached the gospel, and there 
was to be no other gospel preached. We have what 
the apostles preached, and evidently that is the gos- 
pel; and anything else cannot be the gospel, accord- 
ing to the language of Paul. It pleased God by the 
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 
What were they to preach? Jesus told them to preach 
the gospel. Did they preach it? If so, did not the 
people believe it? " For our gospel came not unto you 
in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, 
and in much assurance." (1 Thess. 1: 5.) This 
shows to us that this gospel came to us in word and 
in power. We have the words, and they have not lost 
the power. Paul said that the death, burial, and res- 
urrection of Christ was a part of the gospel. (1 Cor. 
15: 1-4.) The gospel of Christ is contained in the 
New Testament, and a man cannot preach the gospel 
without preaching the teaching of the New Testa- 
ment. To deny the teaching of the apostles is to deny 
the gospel. 



Jacob's Ladder. 337 

Did Paul Preach the Same Things that the 
Other Apostles Did? 

It is argued that Paul did not preach the same 
things that the other apostles did. The word of the 
Lord that went forth from Jerusalem was w^hat all 
the apostles preached, even to the ordinance of bap- 
tism, and also the Lord's Supper. The eleven were 
commanded to go into all the world and teach all na- 
tions, baptizing them into the name of Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit. Did Paul have any right to baptize? 
He said : *' I was sent not to baptize, but to preach." 
It is true, as far as the record goes, that Paul baptized 
only a few; but was it right for him to even do that? 
It certainly was. The reason, perhaps, that Paul did 
not baptize any more was because there was some one 
with him to do such work. Because Paul only bap- 
tized a few is no evidence that he did not preach it. 
The reason that he thanked God that he had not bap- 
tized any more of those Corinthians was because they 
were saying: "I of Paul." To them he said: ''Was 
Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the 
name of Paul? " 

It was then like it is now in some places — men think 
too much of the preacher, and worship him instead 
of the Lord. Paul did not want any one to think that 
he had baptized in his own name. Paul preached the 
same things that the other apostles did. " But they 
had heard only. That he which persecuted us in times 
past now preacheth the faith which once he de- 
stroyed.'' (Gal. 1: 23.) If Paul preached the things 



338 Jacob's Ladder. 

that he once destroyed, he preached baptism just the 
same as the other apostles. There was not one gos- 
pel to the Jews and one to the Gentiles, but the same 
gospel was to all. When Peter preached to the Gen- 
tiles, he preached the same word that began at Gali- 
lee after the baptism that John preached. Peter said : 
" Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of 
persons : but in every nation he that f eareth him, and 
worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." This 
gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and was 
preached to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. 

Everlasting Kingdom. 

Dan. 2 : 44 says : " In the days of these kings shall 
the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall 
NEVER BE DESTROYED: and the kingdom shall not be 
left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and 
consume all these kingdoms, and IT shall stand for- 
ever." *' In the days of these kings " is a thing of 
the past, and the kingdom has been set up. 

2 Sam. 7: 12, 13 says: "And when thy days be ful- 
filled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set 
up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy 
bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall 
build a house for my name, and I will stablish the 
throne of his kingdom forever." You will find this 
fulfilled on Pentecost, as is recorded in Acts 2 : 29, 30. 
Christ was raised from the dead to sit on David's 



Jacob's Ladder. 339 

throne. That kingdom, or church, was established on 
Pentecost, and is here to-day. When time shall be 
no more, the kingdom will still be in existence. Dan. 
2 : 44 says it '' shall never be destroyed," and " it 
shall stand forever." 2 Sam.. 7 : 13 says : '' I will 
stablish the throne of his kingdom forever." Dan. 
7 : 14 says : ** His dominion is an everlasting domin- 
ion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that 
which SHALL NOT BE DESTROYED." Luke 1: 33 says : 
"And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; 
and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Jesus 
says, " The gates of hell shall not prevail against it " 
(Matt. 16: 18) ; and Paul says: '' Unto him be glory 
in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages " 
(Eph. 3: 21). 

We can easily see from the above proof that the 
kingdom is still in existence. It is here to-day, and 
all who have obeyed the gospel are members of it. 

Change of Heart and Remission. 

One very common occurrence in this age of the 
world is for people to mistake a change of heart for 
i^emission of sins. The change of heart is completed 
in repentance, and repentance must precede remission 
of sins. The goodness of God leads to repentance. 
Godly sorrow works repentance. The goodness of 
God produces the godly sorrow, the godly sorrow 
works repentance, and repentance results in a refor- 



340 Jacob's Ladder. 

mation of life. There is a feeling that comes with 
the change of heart, which is the result of making up 
the mind to quit the wicked habits. Too many times 
that is taken for salvation. In Acts 3: 19 we read: 
'' Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your 
sins may be blotted out." That shows that repent- 
ance and conversion is one thing and remission of 
sins is another. Acts 2. 38 says : " Repent, and be 
baptized ... in the name of Jesus Christ for 
the remission of sins.'' Repentance takes place be- 
fore remission. A man repents and then he is bap- 
tized for remission of sins. The change of heart takes 
place in us, but remission of sins takes place in heaven 
in the mind of God. God says : "And their sins and in- 
iquities will I remember no more." 



St 4^ 



" Baptized into Christ." 

" Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized 
into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? " 
(Rom. 6:3.) " For as many of you as have been bap- 
tized into Christ have put on Christ." (Gal. 3 : 27.) 

These passages show that we get into Christ by bap- 
tism. Of course this is baptism to a penitent believer. 
We are not baptized into Christ literally, but we are 
baptized into the figurative body of Christ. We are 
literally baptized, but we get into Christ figuratively. 



Jacob's Ladder. 341 

Preach Repentance. 

Sometimes you will meet up with a '' blatherskite " 
who will say that we do not preach repentance. Such 
people are either ignorant or willfully mean. Any man 
who has heard as many as one sermon from any of 
our brethren knows that the accusation is not true. 
Jesus said : '' Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise per- 
ish." How can a man want his sins pardoned unless 
he is sorry that he has sinned? It is godly sorrow that 
works repentance. On the day of Pentecost Peter said : 
'' Repent, and be baptized ... in the name of Je- 
sus Christ for the remission of sins.'' There is no use 
for people to be baptized for the remission of sins un- 
less they have repented. 



Do Children Need Regenerating? 

c 

It is thought by many people that infants need regen- 
eration. Regeneration is used as a necessity for degen- 
erate persons. A man must degenerate before he needs 
regeneration. The idea of regenerating infants grew 
out of the idea that infants are inherently depraved. 
When we are bom into the world, we are pure and fit 
subjects for the kingdom of God; but when we are old 
enough to distinguish right from wrong, we begin to 
drift away, or degenerate. Regeneration brings us 
back to that state of purity. It is, in one sense, like 
becoming children again. Jesus said to degenerate per- 
sons : '* Except ye be converted, and become as little 
children, ye cannot inherit the kingdom of God." He 



342 Jacob's Ladder. 

also said concerning little children : " For of such is the 
kingdom of heaven.'' If little children are totally de- 
praved, we would have to become totally depraved in 
order to be saved. If they are totally depraved, the 
present inmates of heaven are the same, as Jesus said : 
*'' For of such is the kingdom of heaven." Children are 
already in a saved state, and are not responsible before 
God. They cannot sin, as there is no law for them to 
transgress. 

"Joining the Church." 

The idea seems to be abroad in our land that people 
are saved and then join the church. This idea is ad- 
vocated by almost all denominations. They believe 
that men can receive people into the churches, and 
they do ; but they do not receive them into the church of 
Christ. To be converted and join the church of your 
choice seems to be one of the latest fads. The church 
is made up of baptized believers who have repented. 
They did not obey the gospel and then join the church, 
but their obedience to the gospel put them in the 
church. If you will show me a man who is a believer 
and who has repented, confessed, and been baptized, 
you will have shown me a Christian and a member of 
the church of Christ. The eunuch was a member of 
the church of Christ just as soon as he was baptized, 
though far away from any local congregation. There 
is but one church of Christ, and all of the true Israel of 
God are in it. All who are in that church are in the 
family of God and are called by one name. 



Jacob's Ladder. 343 

Where is God's Name Recorded? 

In the Old Testament God told the Israelites on one 
occasion to build an altar of unhewn stone and to offer 
their sacrifices on it. He told how and where he wanted 
it built. He also said : " In all places where I record 
my name, there will I meet with you and will bless 
you." We understand that they had to go to that par- 
ticular place and make their offering. It was an an- 
nual offering. God's name was recorded there, and 
there they must go to offer. In the new covenant God's 
name is recorded somewhere. Where is it? Is it re- 
corded in the new covenant? Yes. Where? Well, 
we are commanded to believe, repent, confess, and be 
baptized for the remission of sins. Is the name re- 
corded in any of the conditions of salvation? Cer- 
tainly not. Some have possibly entertained the idea 
that the name is recorded in the ordinance of baptism, 
but the Bible does not say so. It is a fact that Jesus 
commanded the apostles to baptize in the name of the 
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, but that 
does not imply that God's name is recorded in the or- 
dinance. Where is his name recorded, then? Well, 
let us see : '' Even unto them will I give in mine house 
and within my walls a place and a name better than 
of sons and of daughters." (Isa. 56: 5.) The name, 
then, is in the house of God. The house of God is the 
church of God. Therefore the name is in the church 
of Christ. We are baptized into the names of Father, 
Son, and Holy Spirit. We are not in these names un- 
til baptism has been completed. At the same time we 



344 Jacob's Ladder. 

get into Christ, into the church, we get into the name 
of Christ. That corresponds with the statement that 
God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. 
So God's name is recorded in the church of Christ, and 
not in an ordinance. Well, are we in the church of 
Christ? Yes, if we have obeyed from the heart that 
form of doctrine. We reach the blood, get into Christ, 
get our sins pardoned, and become Christians all at the 
same time. 

Dead in Sin. 

Paul said that a certain class of men were dead in 
sins. He did not say that they were dead in sin, but 
dead in sins. The alien sinner is dead in his own sins, 
and not in Adam's transgression. The sinner remains 
dead in his sins until he is made alive in Christ. Paul 
said to those who had been baptized into Christ: 
" Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, 
but alive unto God." When a man becomes dead unto 
sin, he is free from sin. He is separated from sin. 
The man does not rise to walk in newness of life until 
he is buried with Christ in baptism, from which he 
rises to walk in newness of life. Our Baptist friends 
say that they must be passed from death unto life be- 
fore they are buried. If that be the case, they are 
buried alive. What is the use to bury a man who has 
already come to life? It is unreasonable. Paul says: 
'' Else what shall they do which are baptized for the 
dead, if the dead rise not at all?" We are baptized 
for the dead. If we are alive when we are baptized. 



Jacob's Ladder. 345 

we are baptized for the living, and not for the dead. 
The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is the doc- 
trine; and Paul says: " Ye have obeyed from the heart 
that form of doctrine. . . . Being then made free 
from sin/' (Rom. 6: 17.) The form of doctrine is 
like the doctrine. It is a death in sins, a burial in wa- 
ter, and a resurrection from the dead in sins. 

Defend the Truth. 

Some preachers and debaters argue that the suc- 
cessful debater will meet a man on his own ground, let 
it be nice and refined or uncouth and vulgar. Many 
of our successful debaters pursue this course, and win 
to a great extent ; but foolishness never wins a point in 
the mind of a thinking man. Foolishness and uncouth 
expressions cannot be classed as wit. Wit is not vul- 
gar or uncouth. I tried the plan of following an oppo- 
nent into the " mud " in the first few debates that T 
held, but soon saw it was not the best. Some few 
would enjoy it, and others would be disgusted. In the 
early part of my preaching days I used many uncouth 
expressions, such as " I'll skin him,'' " snatch the hide," 
and many other such expressions. It pleased some peo- 
ple greatly, but more sober and thinking people were 
disgusted at it. I have tried it both ways, and it is best 
to leave off all unnecessary expressions and use lan- 
guage that cannot be condemned. We can do more and 
lasting good. 

Editors sometimes use uncouth expressions and call 



346 Jacob's Ladder. 

it fighting the good fight of faith. Of course a paper 
filled with vulgar and uncouth expressions will reach 
and attract some people, but they cannot be classed as 
deep-thinking people. Men whose minds and hearts 
are filled with such can be reached that way, but it 
takes reason and logic to reach the intelligence. 

The Lord's Supper. 

Some people get the idea that because the commun- 
ion is called the '' Lord's Supper," therefore it is to be 
taken in the evening, and not in the morning. Others 
take the position that since Christ arose on the morn- 
ing of the first day of the week, therefore we should 
meet in the morning, and not in the evening or after- 
noon. It is a commemorative act. It is done on the 
first day of the week, because Jesus arose from the 
dead on that day. The Bible says nothing as to the 
exact hour of the day that we should meet, but we meet 
on the first day of the week, and that is enough. It 
was the first part of the sabbato that Jesus arose from 
the dead. Because it is a supper does not prove that it 
is to be eaten in the evening, and that alone. 

God Forgives and Forgets. 

For thousands of years God remembered the sins of 
men every year. For that reason animal sacrifice had 
to be offered up every year. That continued until Je- 



Jacob's Ladder. 347 

sus was offered up once for all. In the old covenant 
God remembered their sins every year, but in the new 
covenant it is not so. Six hundred years before Christ, 
Jeremiah prophesied that there would be a new cov- 
enant in which there would be actual remission of sins : 
" For I will forgive their iniquities, and will remember 
their sins no more." Paul, in referring to that proph- 
ecy, said: "And their sins and iniquities will I re- 
member no more. Now where remission of these 
is, there is no more offering for sin." Think of it — 
God will forgive our sins and forget them ! When will 
he do that? When we obey him, he will save us. 

Why I Do Not Accept the Name '' Campbellite." 

My first reason for not accepting it is because I am 
not one. Alexander Campbell did not found a church ; 
but he, like other preachers, organized local assemblies. 
And listen : If Campbell did found a church, he had as 
much right to do so as John Wesley, John Smith, John 
Calvin, or any other John ; but he did not do it. And 
one thing I know: If he did found a church, I never 
joined it. 

The church that Christ founded is still here, and I 
am a member of it. 

Paul condemned the brethren at Corinth because 
they called themselves " Paulites,'' " Cephasites,'' or 
" I of Paul,'^ " I of Cephas,'^ " I of Apollos.'' Now, if 
it was carnality for the Corinthians to call themselves 
" Paulites,'' would it not be carnal for me to call my- 



348 Jacob's Ladder. 

self a " Campbellite? '' Again, Paul asked them if 
Paul had been crucified for them or if they had been 
baptized in the name of Paul. Campbell was not cru- 
cified for me, neither was I baptized in the name of 
Campbell ; so I am not a " Campbellite." 

The Devil Smiles. 

Satan evidently smiles when he sees a man who 
claims to be a Christian trying to make a compromise 
between truth and error. The devil will fight us as 
long as we preach the truth ; but when we give up to 
those who preach error, the devil smiles. The devil 
likes these modern union meetings. All denomina- 
tions can take a part ; but some sectarian preacher must 
be the manager, and we must not contradict him. 
When he says that men are saved before baptism, of 
course it must not be contradicted. 



Where Was the Church When Campbell Was 

Born? 

This is a stunning question in the minds of some peo- 
ple. Their idea is this : " If Campbell did not found 
the church that you belong to, where was it when 
Campbell was born?'' I may not be able to answer 
this to the satisfaction of some people, but I am sure 
I can answer it to the satisfaction of people who are 
willing to believe the Bible as it reads. 

Now, with all the emphasis that I can put into it, I 



Jacob's Ladder. 349 

want to say that Brother Campbell did not found the 
church to which I belong. The fact is, he did not 
found a church at all. He organized local assemblies, 
and that is all he did do in that way. 

The word '' church " is used in two senses. One re- 
fers to the local assembly, and the other to the redeemed 
in the aggregate. When Jesus said, '* Upon this rock 
I will build my church ; and the gates of hell shall not 
prevail against it,'' he referred to the church that con- 
tains all of the redeemed, and not to the local assembly. 

Now, the question is. Where was the church when 
Campbell was born? I answer, It was made up of all 
the Christians that were in the world at that time. 
You tell me how many Christians there were in the 
world at that time, and I will show you just how many 
members of the church of Christ were in existence. 
The next question is. How do I know or believe that the 
church of Christ has existed from the days of the apos- 
tles to our time? Here is my answer. Jesus said: 
" Upon this rock I will build my church ; and the gates 
of hell shall not prevail against it." Notice, '' church " 
is used in the singular number. It refers to one — one 
body. "And the gates of hell shall not prevail against 
it." "The gates of hell" here refers to death, for 
death opens up the way to Hades. Then death shall 
not prevail against it. Some people try to think that 
Jesus referred to the building of the church when he 
said that the gates of hell should not prevail against 
it, but that cannot be if you look at it in the right way. 
The Greek word for " it " is " antes," and in the Em- 
phatic Diaglott it is rendered " her." " The gates of 



350 Jacob's Ladder. 

hell shall not prevail against her." It is also rendered : 
'' The gates of hell shall not triumph over it." The an- 
tecedent of *' it," then, must be '' church." Death, then, 
has not prevailed against the church. It is true that 
the church passed through a wilderness period, but 
that does not mean that it did not exist during the 
Dark Ages. It went into the wilderness and came out 
of the wilderness. Then I am sure that it was in the 
wilderness. Again, Paul says : " Unto him be glory in 
the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world 
without end." (Eph. 3:21.) In Dan. 2 : 44 we read : 
"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven 
set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: 
. . . but it shall break in pieces and consume all 
these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." Think 
about it! What is the church but the kingdom of 
Christ? That is, do away with the kingdom of Christ, 
and there will be no church of Christ. That kingdom 
shall never be destroyed, but it shall stand forever. 
Brethren, it is here to-day. It was here when Camp- 
bell was born. Where was it? It was composed of 
the Christians that were in the world at that time. 
Campbell did not found the church, for it was in ex- 
istence when he was born. 



* * 



it 



At Hand." 

Our Baptist friends, in trying to prove that the 
church was established before Christ died, will make 
arguments on the above expression. They say that 



Jacob's Ladder. 351 

" at hand '' means '' already here," but they contend 
that Jesus founded the church after John died. If " at 
hand " means '' ah^eady here/' then the church was 
*' ah^eady here " before John the Baptist preached a 
sermon, for in the first sermon he preached he said: 
" Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'' The 
truth is, " at hand " means " near," " approaching," 
etc. 

In Matt. 3: 2 John preached the kingdom at hand. 
When Jesus began to preach, he also said the kingdom 
is at hand (Matt. 4: 17) ; and when Jesus sent the 
twelve, he told them to preach the kingdom is at hand 
(Matt. 10: 7) ; and Jesus also taught his disciples to 
pray for the kingdom to come. In Luke 12 : 32 it is re- 
corded where Jesus told his disciples that it was the 
Father's good pleasure to give them the kingdom. 
Again, in Luke 22 : 29, Jesus said : " I appoint unto you 
a kingdom." The thief on the cross said : '' Lord, re- 
member me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Jo- 
seph also waited for the kingdom. When the apostles 
were gathered together in Jerusalem after the resurrec- 
tion of Christ and just before the day of Pentecost, they 
asked Jesus: " Wilt thou at this time restore the king- 
dom to Israel?" Even to this date the kingdom of 
Christ had not come, for the apostles did not know what 
kind of a kingdom it would be. 

Listen : After the day of Pentecost we do not hear 
any of the apostles preaching the kingdom " at hand." 
'' It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the king- 
dom." And we do not hear them saying, " Thy king- 
dom come," and we do not find Joseph waiting for the 



352 Jacob's Ladder. 

kingdom. Why? The answer is plain: The kingdom 
had come; therefore they were not waiting for it. 

Jesus told his apostles that some of them would live 
to see the kingdom come with power. The kingdom 
did come. Judas died before it came, but the others re- 
mained to see the day and rejoiced to see its beginning. 

The Kind of Person We Baptize. 

We baptize a believer who has repented of his sins 
and confessed his faith in Christ. A person who is 
strictly a penitent believer has had a complete inward 
change, or, as it is sometimes called, " a change of 
heart." We do not baptize a person who is an active 
sinner, but one who has quit his meanness; but the 
guilt for what he has done still hangs over him until 
he is baptized. He is baptized for the remission of 
sins — not future sins, but past sins. We do not bap- 
tize a person to make him moral, but he must become 
moral before baptism. 

Our Creed. 

Our creed is Christ. To enter the church of Christ, 
a person must confess his faith in Christ — the creed. 
We have no discipline but the Bible and no creed but 
Christ. 






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